We present two series of MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) space-based photometry, covering nearly continuously 10 d in 2004 and 30 d in 2007, of selected variable stars in the upper main sequence of the old open cluster M67. New high-precision light curves were obtained for the blue straggler binary/triple systems AH Cnc, ES Cnc and EV Cnc. The precision and phase coverage of ES Cnc and EV Cnc is by far superior to any previous observations. The light curve of ES Cnc is modelled in detail, assuming two dark photospheric spots and Roche geometry. An analysis of the light curve of AH Cnc indicates a low mass ratio (q ~ 0.13) and a high inclination angle for this system. Two new long-period eclipsingbinaries, GSC 814-323 and HD 75638 (non-members of M67) were discovered. We also present ground-based DDO spectroscopy of ES Cnc and of the newly found eclipsingbinaries. Especially interesting is HD 75638, a member of a visual binary, which must itself be a triple or a higher multiplicity system. New light curves of two δ Scuti pulsators, EX Cnc and EW Cnc, have been analysed leading to detection of 26 and eight pulsation frequencies of high temporal stability. Based on photometric data from MOST, a Canadian Space Agency mission (jointly operated by Dynacon Inc., the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and the University of British Columbia, with the assistance of the University of Vienna), and on spectroscopic data from the David Dunlap Observatory, University of Toronto. E-mail: pribulla@ta3.sk (TP); rucinski@astro.utoronto.ca (SR)

A new record holder exists for the longest-period eclipsingbinary star system: TYC-2505-672-1. This intriguing system contains a primary star that is eclipsed by its companion once every 69 years with each eclipse lasting several years!120 Years of ObservationsIn a recent study, a team of scientists led by Joseph Rodriguez (Vanderbilt University) characterizes the components of TYC-2505-672-1. This binary star system consists of an M-type red giant star that undergoes a ~3.45-year-long, near-total eclipse with a period of ~69.1 years. This period is more than double that of the previous longest-period eclipsingbinary!Rodriguez and collaborators combined photometric observations of TYC-2505-672-1 by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) with a variety of archival data, including observations by the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) network and historical data from the Digital Access to a Sky Century @ Harvard (DASCH) program.In the 120 years spanned by these observations, two eclipses are detected: one in 1942-1945 and one in 2011-2015. The authors use the observations to analyze the components of the system and attempt to better understand what causes its unusual light curve.Characterizing an Unusual SystemObservations of TYC-2505-672-1 plotted from 1890 to 2015 reveal two eclipses. (The blue KELT observations during the eclipse show upper limits only.) [Rodriguez et al. 2016]By modeling the systems emission, Rodriguez and collaborators establish that TYC-2505-672-1 consists of a 3600-K primary star thats the M giant orbited by a small, hot, dim companion thats a toasty 8000 K. But if the companion is small, why does the eclipse last several years?The authors argue that the best model of TYC-2505-672-1 is one in which the small companion star is surrounded by a large, opaque circumstellar disk. Rodriguez and collaborators suggest that the companion could be a former red giant whose atmosphere was stripped from it, leaving behind

We are currently involved in a four year program of precise eclipsingbinary photometry with the NASA Kepler Observatory. Our goal is to search for variations in minimum light timing for intermediate mass eclipsingbinaries. Such periodic variations will reveal the reflex motion caused by any distant, low mass object that orbits the close binary. it Kepler's unprecedented accuracy and continuous observations provide a unique opportunity to detect the low mass companions that are predicted to result from the angular momentum of the natal cloud. The goal of this proposal is to obtain blue spectra of short period (0.9-6d) eclipsingbinaries, derive radial velocities, and produce a double-lined spectroscopic orbit (as well as estimates of the stellar effective temperatures, gravities, and metallicities). Combined with the it Kepler light curve, we will determine very accurate masses and radii for the members of the close binary, which will yield the mass-inclination product M_3 sin i for any companions detected by light travel time or other effects. An extended sample of eclipsingbinaries with longer periods (up to 50d) is now being investigated to test whether the presence of a tertiary companion declines with increasing period. We propose to obtain a single spectrum at quadrature for the brightest 48 stars in this expanded sample to characterize the effective temperatures and total mass contained in these systems.

PHOEBE (PHysics Of EclipsingBinariEs) is a modeling package for eclipsingbinary stars, built on top of the widely used WD program (Wilson & Devinney 1971). This introductory paper overviews most important scientific extensions (incorporating observational spectra of eclipsingbinaries into the solution-seeking process, extracting individual temperatures from observed color indices, main-sequence constraining and proper treatment of the reddening), numerical innovations (suggested improvements to WD's Differential Corrections method, the new Nelder & Mead's downhill Simplex method) and technical aspects (back-end scripter structure, graphical user interface). While PHOEBE retains 100% WD compatibility, its add-ons are a powerful way to enhance WD by encompassing even more physics and solution reliability.

This paper continues the publication of times of minima for eclipsingbinary stars from observations reported to the AAVSO EclipsingBinary section. Times of minima from CCD observations received by the author from November 2015 through January 2016 are presented.

In eclipsingbinaries the stellar rotation of the two components will cause a rotational Doppler beaming during eclipse ingress and egress when only part of the eclipsed component is covered. For eclipsingbinaries with fast spinning components this photometric analog of the well-known spectroscopic Rossiter-McLaughlin effect can exceed the strength of the orbital effect. Example light curves are shown for a detached double white dwarf binary, a massive O-star binary and a transiting exoplanet case, similar to WASP-33b. Inclusion of the rotational Doppler beaming in eclipsing systems is a prerequisite for deriving the correct stellar parameters from fitting high-quality photometric light curves and can be used to determine stellar obliquities as well as, e.g., an independent measure of the rotational velocity in those systems that may be expected to be fully synchronized.

CCD ground-based photometry of the contact binary system BB Pegasus is presented along with analyses of the light curve. Recent radial velocity data with these obtained light curves were used to compute parameters. These results are compared with published values computed using spectroscopic values. The light curve displays total annular eclipses in the primary. The period is very short, equal to 0.3615015 days. A recent spectroscopic study indicates the existence of a third body. Three times of minimums were gathered for this poster paper and when added to those found in the literature a plotted quadratic ephemeris displays a sine-like variation of the O -- C curve indicating a tertiary component to the system. The light curve of this system shows an asymmetry in which the maximum after primary eclipse is higher than the other maximum, O'Connell effect. Two small cool stellar spots on star number 1 were used to make the parameter model fit the light curve data.

we have investigated how much confidence we can place in eclipsingbinaries as distance indicators. The absolute visual magnitudes and the photometric distances of the selected 318 eclipsingbinaries were calculated and compared with those calculated from Hipparcos parallaxes. The absolute magnitudes and distances of eclipsingbinary systems deduced from analysis of light curves and radial velocity curves are confirmed to have the same accuracy as the Hipparcos parallaxes within an error of 10 percent of the parallax value. This means that photometric distances are accurate enough over a couple thousand parsecs on the basis of the eclipsingbinaries used in this paper. The photometric distances of contact binaries show good agreement with those of Rucinski (1996).

We present a statistical investigation of eclipsingbinaries presented in the ASAS (http://www.astrouw.edu.pl/asas/?page=download) survey. Applying the Fourier analysis on the ASAS light curves, we used the relations between coefficients to infer principal properties of eclipsingbinaries. The systems with eccentric orbits were found and for the same sample the minimum eccentricity was estimated. We also selected short-period detached eclipsingbinaries suitable for the detection of circumbinary exoplanets. Systems with the equal minima depth were also discussed.

We present 221 CCD minima times of the 76 selected eclipsingbinaries obtained during 2013-2016 at Observatory at Kolonica Saddle in Slovakia and Observatory of Laboratory of Space Research, Uzhhorod National University in Ukraine

This paper continues the publication of times of minima for 171 eclipsingbinary stars from observations reported to the AAVSO EB section. Times of minima from observations received by the author from March 2015 thru October 2015 are presented.

Sixteen new eclipsingbinaries have been discovered by the MOST satellite among guide stars used to point its telescope in various fields. Several previously known eclipsingbinaries were also observed by MOST with unprecedented quality. Among the objects we discuss in more detail are short-period eclipsingbinaries with eccentric orbits in young open clusters: V578 Mon in NGC 2244 and HD 47934 in NGC 2264. Long nearly-continuous photometric runs made it possible to discover three long-period eclipsingbinaries with orbits seen almost edge-on: HD 45972 with P = 28.1 days and two systems (GSC 154 1247 and GSC 2141 526) with P > 25 days. The high precision of the satellite data led to discoveries of binaries with very shallow eclipses (e.g., HD 46180 with A = 0.016 mag, and HD 47934 with A = 0.025 mag). Ground-based spectroscopy to support the space-based photometry was used to refine the models of several of the systems. Based on photometric data from MOST, a Canadian Space Agency mission (jointly operated by Microsat Systems Canada Inc. (formerly the Space Division of Dynacon Inc.), the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies - SpaceFlight Lab and the University of British Columbia, with the assistance of the University of Vienna), and on spectroscopic data from the David Dunlap Observatory, University of Toronto, and Las Campanas Observatory, Carnegie Institute Washington.

Kepler has revolutionized the eclipsingbinary field by providing us essentially uninterrupted data of unprecedented quality. Out of 160,000 targets, we detected over 2500 eclipsingbinaries. These range in orbital periods from as short as 0.3 days, all the way to several years, and encompass stellar types across the H-R diagram. In this talk I will present the collaborative effort of the Kepler EclipsingBinary Working Group to study and characterize these systems on a statistical level: their distribution in periods, galactic latitude, spectral type, fundamental stellar properties and multiplicity as evidenced by eclipse timing variations. I will further show the gems that have sprung from this sample, which were modeled and interpreted to reveal intrinsically pulsating components, runaway encounters with massive tertiaries, stellar objects that populate the lowest end of the main sequence and circumbinary planets. I will critically review and discuss the causes of data systematics and detrending, and introduce a novel algorithm to classify light curves into morphological types using Locally Linear Embedding. Finally, I will touch on the dark side of eclipsingbinaries as the primary cause of false positives in extrasolar planet detections with Kepler.

Dr. Robert Zavala (USNO-Flagstaff) et al. request V time-series observations of the bright variable star b Persei 7-21 January 2015 UT, in hopes of catching a predicted eclipse on January 15. This is a follow-up to the February 2013 campaign announced in Alert Notice 476, and will be used as a photometric comparison for upcoming interferometric observations with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) in Arizona. b Per (V=4.598, B-V=0.054) is ideal for photoelectric photometers or DSLR cameras. Telescopic CCD observers may observe by stopping down larger apertures. Comparison and check stars assigned by PI: Comp: SAO 24412, V=4.285, B-V = -0.013; Check: SAO 24512, V=5.19, B-V = -0.05. From the PI: "[W]e wanted to try and involve AAVSO observers in a follow up to our successful detection of the b Persei eclipse of Feb 2013, AAVSO Alert Notice 476 and Special Notice 333. Our goal now is to get good time resolution photometry as the third star passes in front of the close ellipsoidal binary. The potential for multiple eclipses exists. The close binary has a 1.5 day orbital period, and the eclipsing C component requires about 4 days to pass across the close binary pair. The primary eclipse depth is 0.15 magnitude. Photometry to 0.02 or 0.03 mags would be fine to detect this eclipse. Eclipse prediction date (JD 2457033.79 = 2015 01 11 UT, ~+/- 1 day) is based on one orbital period from the 2013 eclipse." More information is available at PI's b Persei eclipse web page: http://inside.warren-wilson.edu/~dcollins/bPersei/. Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (https://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details and information on the targets.

The Kepler Mission provides nearly continuous monitoring of {approx}156,000 objects with unprecedented photometric precision. Coincident with the first data release, we presented a catalog of 1879 eclipsingbinary systems identified within the 115 deg{sup 2} Kepler field of view (FOV). Here, we provide an updated catalog augmented with the second Kepler data release which increases the baseline nearly fourfold to 125 days. Three hundred and eighty-six new systems have been added, ephemerides and principal parameters have been recomputed. We have removed 42 previously cataloged systems that are now clearly recognized as short-period pulsating variables and another 58 blended systems where we have determined that the Kepler target object is not itself the eclipsingbinary. A number of interesting objects are identified. We present several exemplary cases: four eclipsingbinaries that exhibit extra (tertiary) eclipse events; and eight systems that show clear eclipse timing variations indicative of the presence of additional bodies bound in the system. We have updated the period and galactic latitude distribution diagrams. With these changes, the total number of identified eclipsingbinary systems in the Kepler FOV has increased to 2165, 1.4% of the Kepler target stars. An online version of this catalog is maintained at http://keplerEBs.villanova.edu.

B-stars in binary pairs provide a laboratory for key astrophysical measurements of massive stars, including key insights for the formation of compact objects (neutron stars and black holes). In their paper, Martayan et al (2004) find 23 Be binary star pairs in NGC2004 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, five of which are both eclipsing and spectroscopic binaries with archival data from VLT-Giraffe and photometric data from MACHO. By using the Wilson eclipsingbinary code (e.g., Wilson, 1971), we can determine preliminary stellar masses of the binary components. We present the first results from this analysis. This study also serves as proof-of-concept for future observations with the Photonic Synthesis Telescope Array (Eikenberry et al., in prep) that we are currently building for low-cost, precision spectroscopic observations. With higher resolution and dedicated time for observations, we can follow-up observations of these Be stars as well as Be/X-ray binaries, for improved mass measurements of neutron stars and black holes and better constraints on their origin/formation.

Context. The study of apsidal motion in detached eclipsingbinary systems is known to be an important source of information about stellar internal structure as well as the possibility of verifying of General Relativity outside the Solar System. Aims: As part of the long-term Ondřejov and Ostrava observational projects, we aim to measure precise times of minima for eccentric eclipsingbinaries, needed for the accurate determination of apsidal motion, providing a suitable test of the effects of General Relativity. Methods: About seventy new times of minimum light recorded with photoelectric or CCD photometers were obtained for ten eccentric-orbit eclipsingbinaries with significant relativistic apsidal motion. Their O-C diagrams were analysed using all reliable timings found in the literature, and new or improved elements of apsidal motion were obtained. Results: We confirm very long periods of apsidal motion for all systems. For BF Dra and V1094 Tau, we present the first apsidal-motion solution. The relativistic effects are dominant, representing up to 100% of the total observable apsidal-motion rate in several systems. The theoretical and observed values of the internal structure constant k 2 were compared for systems with lower relativistic contribution. Using the light-time effect solution, we predict a faint third component for V1094 Tau orbiting with a short period of about 8 years. Partly based on photoelectric observations secured at the Hvar Observatory, Faculty of Geodesy, Zagreb, Croatia, in October 2008.

The study of apsidal motion in binary stars with eccentric orbit is well known as an important source of information for the stellar internal structure as well as the possibility of verification of general relativity. In this study, the apsidal motion of the eccentric eclipsingbinary GG Ori (P = 6.631 days, e = 0.22) has been analyzed using the times of minimum light taken from the literature and databases and the elements of apsidal motion have been computed. The method described by Giménez and García-Pelayo (1983) has been used for the apsidal motion analysis.

The Kepler mission has provided unprecedented, nearly continuous photometric data of ∼200,000 objects in the ∼105 deg2 field of view (FOV) from the beginning of science operations in May of 2009 until the loss of the second reaction wheel in May of 2013. The Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog contains information including but not limited to ephemerides, stellar parameters, and analytical approximation fits for every known eclipsingbinary system in the Kepler FOV. Using target pixel level data collected from Kepler in conjunction with the Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog, we identify false positives among eclipsingbinaries, i.e., targets that are not eclipsingbinaries themselves, but are instead contaminated by eclipsingbinary sources nearby on the sky and show eclipsingbinary signatures in their light curves. We present methods for identifying these false positives and for extracting new light curves for the true source of the observed binary signal. For each source, we extract three separate light curves for each quarter of available data by optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio, the relative percent eclipse depth, and the flux eclipse depth. We present 289 new eclipsingbinaries in the Kepler FOV that were not targets for observation, and these have been added to the catalog. An online version of this catalog with downloadable content and visualization tools is maintained at http://keplerEBs.villanova.edu.

Many eclipsingbinary star systems (EBS) show long-term variations in their orbital periods which are evident in their O-C (observed minus calculated period) diagrams. This research carried out an analysis of 324 eclipsingbinary systems taken from the systems analyzed in the Bob Nelson's O-C Files database. Of these 18 systems displayed evidence of periodic variations of the arrival times of the eclipses. These rates of period changes are sinusoidal variations. The sinusoidal character of these variations is suggestive of Keplerian motion caused by an orbiting companion. The reason for these changes is unknown, but mass loss, apsidal motion, magnetic activity and the presence of a third body have been proposed. This paper has assumed light time effect as the cause of the sinusoidal variations caused by the gravitational pull of a tertiary companion orbiting around the eclipsingbinary systems. An observed minus calculated (O-C) diagram of the 324 systems was plotted using a quadratic ephemeris to determine if the system displayed a sinusoidal trend in theO-C residuals. After analysis of the 18 systems, seven systems, AW UMa, BB PEG, OO Aql, V508 Oph, VW Cep, WCrv and YY ERI met the benchmark of the criteria of a possible orbiting companion. The other 11 systems displayed a sinusoidal variation in the O-C residuals of the primary eclipses but these systems in the Bob Nelson's O-C Files did not contain times of minimum (Tmin) of the secondary eclipses and therefore not conclusive in determining the presents of the effects of a tertiary companion. An analysis of the residuals of the seven systems yields a light-time semi-amplitude, orbital period, eccentricity and mass of the tertiary companion as the amplitude of the variation is proportional to the mass, period and inclination of the 3rd orbiting body. Knowing the low mass of the tertiary body in the seven cases the possibility of five of these tertiary companions being brown dwarfs is discussed.

We review the method NAV ("New Algol Variable") first introduced in (2012Ap.....55..536A) which uses the locally-dependent shapes of eclipses in an addition to the trigonometric polynomial of the second order (which typically describes the "out-of-eclipse" part of the light curve with effects of reflection, ellipticity and O'Connell). Eclipsingbinary stars are believed to show distinct eclipses only if belonging to the EA (Algol) type. With a decreasing eclipse width, the statistically optimal value of the trigonometric polynomial s(2003ASPC..292..391A) drastically increases from ~2 for elliptic (EL) variables without eclipses, ~6-8 for EW and up to ~30-50 for some EA with narrow eclipses. In this case of large number of parameters, the smoothing curve becomes very noisy and apparent waves (the Gibbs phenomenon) may be seen. The NAV set of the parameters may be used for classification in the GCVS, VSX and similar catalogs. The maximal number of parameters is m=12, which corresponds to s=5, if correcting both the period and the initial epoch. We have applied the method to few stars, also in a case of multi-color photometry (2015JASS...32..127A), when it is possible to use the phenomenological parameters from the NAV fit to estimate physical parameters using statistical dependencies. For the one-color observations, one may estimate the ratio of the surface brightnesses of the components. We compiled a catalog of phenomenological characteristics based on published observations. We conclude that the NAV approximation is better than the TP one even for the case of EW-type stars with much wider eclipses. It may also be used to determine timings (see 2005ASPC..335...37A for a review of methods) or to determine parameters in the case of variable period, using a complete light curve modeling the phase variations. The method is illustrated on 2MASS J11080447-6143290 (EA-type), USNO-B1.0 1265-0306001 and USNO-B1.01266-0313413 (EW-type) and compared to various other methods

Abstract: Eclipsingbinaries are a cornerstone of modern astrophysics: their components are the only stars beyond the solar neighbourhood whose masses and radii can be measured directly and to high precision. This makes them critical objects for testing and facilitating the improvement of theoretical stellar models. Asteroseismology is another window on the properties of stars: pulsation frequencies and amplitudes carry information on their bulk properties and interior structure. The combination of asteroseismology and eclipses holds the promise of determining the pulsation properties of stars of precisely known mass and radius, providing an unprecedented test of stellar models. I review what can be learnt, how the measurements are made, and possible sources of the necessary observational data. Work so far has primarily relied on space-based photometry, and the future holds the tantalizing prospect of results from K2, BRITE, CHEOPS, TESS and PLATO.

Aims: As part of the long-term Ondřejov and Ostrava observational projects, we aim to measure the precise times of minimum light for eccentric eclipsingbinaries, needed for accurate determination of apsidal motion. Over fifty new times of minimum light recorded with CCD photometers were obtained for five early-type and eccentric-orbit eclipsingbinaries: V785 Cas (P = 2.d70, e = 0.09), V821 Cas (1.d77, 0.14), V796 Cyg (1.d48, 0.07), V398 Lac (5.d41, 0.23), and V871 Per (3.d02, 0.24). Methods: O-C diagrams of binaries were analysed using all reliable timings found in the literature, and new elements of apsidal motion were obtained. Results: We derived for the first time or improved the relatively short periods of apsidal motion of about 83, 140, 33, 440, and 70 years for V785 Cas, V821 Cas, V796 Cyg, V398 Lac, and V871 Per, respectively. The internal structure constants, log k2, for V821 Cas and V398 Lac are then found to be -2.70 and -2.35, under the assumption that the component stars rotate pseudosynchronously. The relativistic effects are weak, up to 7% of the total apsidal motion rate.

We present new multi-band differential aperture photometry of the eclipsing variable star ASAS J184708-3340.2. The light curves are analyzed with the Wilson-Devinney model to determine best-fit stellar models. Our models show that ASAS J184708-3340.2 is consistent with an overcontact eclipsingbinary (W Ursae Majoris) system with total eclipses.

Using a database of eclipsingbinaries (EBs) from the Kepler space telescope, we identified star systems which displayed characteristics corresponding to the reflection effect. The reflection effect is the brightening of one star due to irradiation by its companion. We found 40 candidates amongst the nearly 2,800 EBs in the database. We analyze these candidates and derive parameters and properties of each system using the PHOEBE modeling program. We examine each model fit using probabilistic inference in order to statistically evaluate the best fit model. The model critically tests the reflection effect and provides physical constraints on the principal parameters.

The survey of long period eclipsingbinaries from the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) catalog aims at searching for and characterizing subgiants and red giants in double-lined detached binary systems. Absolute physical and orbital parameters are presented based on radial velocities from high-quality optical spectra obtained with the following telescope/instrument combinations: 8.2 m Subaru/HDS, ESO 3.6 m/HARPS, 1.9 m Radcliffe/GIRAFFE, CTIO 1.5 m/CHIRON, and 1.2 m Euler/CORALIE. Photometric data from ASAS, SuperWASP, and the Solaris Project were also used. We discuss the derived uncertainties for the individual masses and radii of the components (better than 3% for several systems), as well as results from the spectral analysis performed for components of systems whose spectra we disentangled.

We present a catalog of precise eclipse times and analysis of third-body signals among 1279 close binaries in the latest Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog. For these short-period binaries, Kepler's 30 minute exposure time causes significant smearing of light curves. In addition, common astrophysical phenomena such as chromospheric activity, as well as imperfections in the light curve detrending process, can create systematic artifacts that may produce fictitious signals in the eclipse timings. We present a method to measure precise eclipse times in the presence of distorted light curves, such as in contact and near-contact binaries which exhibit continuously changing light levels in and out of eclipse. We identify 236 systems for which we find a timing variation signal compatible with the presence of a third body. These are modeled for the light travel time effect and the basic properties of the third body are derived. This study complements J. A. Orosz et al. (in preparation), which focuses on eclipse timing variations of longer period binaries with flat out-of-eclipse regions. Together, these two papers provide comprehensive eclipse timings for all binaries in the Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog, as an ongoing resource freely accessible online to the community.

The sdB-type eclipsingbinary consists a very hot subdwarf B (sdB) type primary and a low mass secondary with short period. They are detached binaries and show very narrow eclipse profiles, which benefits the determination of the precise eclipse times. With the precise times of light minimum, we can detected small mass objects around them by analyzing the observed-calculated (O-C) curve based on the light time effect. For searching the substellar objects orbiting around the binaries, we have monitored sdB-type eclipsingbinaries for decades. A group of brown dwarfs and planets have been detected since then. In the present paper, we focus on the target NSVS07826147, which may be another exoplanet host candidate among the group of the sdB-type eclipsingbinaries.

Eclipsingbinaries provide a unique opportunity to measure fundamental properties of stars. With the advent of all-sky surveys, thousands of eclipsingbinaries have been reported, yet their light curves are not fully exploited. The goal of this work is to make use of the eclipsingbinary light curves delivered by all-sky surveys. We attempt to extract physical parameters of the binary systems from their light curves and colour. Inspired by the work of Devor et al., we use the Detached EclipsingBinary Light curve fitter (DEBIL) and the Method for Eclipsing Component Identification (MECI) to derive basic properties of the binary systems reported by the All Sky Automated Survey, the Northern Sky Variability Survey, and the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroids Research. We derive the mass, fractional radius, and age for 783 binary systems. We report a subsample of eccentric systems and compare their properties to the tidal circularization theory. With MECI, we are able to estimate the distance of the eclipsingbinary systems and use them to probe the structure of the Milky Way. Following the approach of Devor et al., we demonstrate that DEBIL and MECI are instrumental to investigate eclipsingbinary light curves in the era of all-sky surveys, and provide estimates of stellar parameters of both binary components without spectroscopic information.

Using the 0.9 meter telescope on West Mountain to follow-up possible transiting planets with ground based photometry, we discovered a previously unknown eclipsingbinary system. This eclipsingbinary is located in a crowded star field and so could not be reduced using photometry. In order to figure out which object in our field of view is the eclipsingbinary, we learned how to use DAO phot. By using DAO phot we hope to be able to learn more about the individual stars that make up the binary system and their parameters.

We present CCD photometric observations of an eclipsingbinary in the direction of the open cluster Praesepe using the 2 m telescope at IUCAA Girawali Observatory, India. Though the system was classified as an eclipsingbinary by Pepper et al., detailed investigations have been lacking. The photometric solutions using the Wilson-Devinney code suggest that it is a W-type W UMa system and, interestingly, the system parameters are similar to another contact binary system SW Lac.

The Kepler Mission is a photometric mission with a precision of 14 ppm (at R=12) that is designed to continuously observe a single field of view (FOV) of greater 100 sq deg in the Cygnus-Lyra region for four or more years. The primary goal of the mission is to monitor greater than 100,000 stars for transits of Earth-size and smaller planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. In the process, many eclipsingbinaries (EB) will also be detected and light curves produced. To enhance and optimize the mission results, the stellar characteristics for all the stars in the FOV with R less than 16 will have been determined prior to launch. As part of the verification process, stars with transit candidates will have radial velocity follow-up observations performed to determine the component masses and thereby separate eclipses caused by stellar companions from transits caused by planets. The result will be a rich database on EBs. The community will have access to the archive for further analysis, such as, for EB modeling of the high-precision light curves. A guest observer program is also planned to allow for photometric observations of objects not on the target list but within the FOV, since only the pixels of interest from those stars monitored will be transmitted to the ground.

B-type stars in eclipsingbinary systems are unique astrophysical tools to test several aspects of stellar evolution. Such objects can be used e.g. to determine the masses of Beta Cephei variable stars, as well as help to place tighter constraints on the value of the convective core overshooting parameter α. Both precise photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy with high SNR are required to achieve these goals, but since many of the targets are bright enough, the challenge is fair. Following this assumption, we shall explain how we plan to examine both the aforementioned aspects of stellar evolution using observations of B-type stars obtained with a wide range of spectrographs, as well as BRITE-Constellation satellites.

The weakest point in the modern models of eclipsingbinary systems (EBS) is the treatment given to the effects of mutual irradiation. In this review, which does not have a similar one in the literature, an attempt is made to collect all the work done on the irradiation problem until the middle of 1984, in order to make possible an evaluation of the present status of this problem. Special emphasis is given to the applicability of the results to the analysis of EBS. The treatment given to the effect by the early studies, as well as by practically all the modern models of EBS, is described, and special attention is given to works analysing the problem using stellar model atmospheres. It turns out that the effect is more complex than suspected earlier, but that significant progress has been made recently.

We aim to discover the accuracy of photometric mass ratios (q ph) determined for eclipsingbinary stars, in the case of the system having at least one `flat bottom' as a minimum profile, as well as the accuracy of data used in that sense. Within this context, we present the results of two-dimensional grid search (q - i) for some W UMa-type eclipsingbinaries showing total eclipses, based on the high precision photometric data provided by the KEPLER Mission. The radial velocity data obtained for KIC10618253 in this study, enables us to compare both q ph and the corresponding spectroscopic mass ratio (q sp) values. The results indicate that the high precision photometric data for overcontact eclipsingbinaries showing total eclipses allow us to obtain the photometric mass ratios as accurate as the spectroscopic values.

Eclipsingbinaries serve momentous purposes to improve the basis of understanding aspects of stellar astrophysics, such as the accurate calculation of the physical parameters of stars and the enigmatic mass-radius relationship of M and K dwarfs. We report the investigation results of 7 eclipsingbinary candidates, initially identified by the Kepler mission, overlapped with the radial velocity observations from the SDSS-III Multi-Object APO Radial-Velocity Exoplanet Large-Area Survey (MARVELS). The RV extractions and spectroscopic solutions of these eclipsingbinaries were generated by the University of Florida's 1D data pipeline with a median RV precision of ~60-100 m/s, which was utilized for the DR12 data release. We performed the cross-reference fitting of the MARVELS RV data and the Kepler photometric fluxes obtained from the Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog (V2) and modelled the 7 eclipsingbinaries in the BinaryMaker3 and PHOEBE programs. This analysis accurately determined the absolute physical and orbital parameters of each binary. Most of the companion stars were determined to have masses of K and M dwarf stars (0.3-0.8 M⊙), and allowed for an investigation into the mass-radius relationship of M and K dwarfs. Among the cases are KIC 9163796, a 122.2 day period "heartbeat star", a recently-discovered class of eccentric binaries known for tidal distortions and pulsations, with a high eccentricity (e~0.75) and KIC 11244501, a 0.29 day period, contact binary with a double-lined spectrum and mass ratio (q~0.45). We also report on the possible reclassification of 2 Kepler eclipsingbinary candidates as background eclipsingbinaries based on the analysis of the flux measurements, flux ratios of the spectroscopic and photometric solutions, the differences in the FOVs, the image processing of Kepler, and RV and spectral analysis of MARVELS.

682 CCD minima observations of 259 eclipsingbinaries made mainly by author are presented. The observed stars were chosen mainly from catalogue BRKA of observing programme of BRNO-Variable Star Section of CAS.

The goal of this work is to conduct a photometric study of eclipsingbinaries in M31. We apply a modified box-fitting algorithm to search for eclipsingbinary candidates and determine their period. We classify these candidates into detached, semi-detached, and contact systems using the Fourier decomposition method. We cross-match the position of our detached candidates with the photometry from Local Group Survey and select 13 candidates brighter than 20.5 mag in V. The relative physical parameters of these detached candidates are further characterized with the Detached EclipsingBinary Light curve fitter (DEBiL) by Devor. We will follow up the detached eclipsingbinaries spectroscopically and determine the distance to M31.

We have been conducting a spectroscopic survey of detached eclipsingbinaries (DEBs) from the All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) database for more than three years. Thousands of high-resolution spectra of >300 systems have been secured, and used for radial velocity measurements and spectral analysis. We have found a zoo of multiple systems in our sample, such as spectroscopic triples and quadruples, visual binaries with eclipsing components, and circumbinary low-mass companions, including sub-stellar-mass candidates.

We present a census of eclipsingbinary systems with classical Cepheid as a component. All such systems known were found in the OGLE collection of classical Cepheids in the Magellanic System. We extend the list of potential candidates adding four new objects found in the OGLE-IV photometric data. One of the new Cepheids in the eclipsing system, OGLE-SMC-CEP-3235, revealed only one eclipse during 15 years of the OGLE photometric monitoring. However, it additionally shows very well pronounced light-time effect indicating that the binarity is real and the system is physically bound. We also search for the light-time effect in other known eclipsing Cepheids and we clearly detect it in OGLE-LMC-CEP-1812. We discuss application of this tool for the search for Cepheids in non-eclipsingbinary systems.

This paper presents new CCD Bessell BVRI light curves and photometric analysis of the Algol-type binary star TX Her. The CCD observations were carried out at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Observatory in 2010. New BVRI light curves from this study and radial velocity curves from Popper (1970) were solved simultaneously using modern light and radial velocity curves synthesis methods. The general results show that TX Her is a well-detached eclipsingbinary, however, both component stars fill at least half of their Roche lobes. A significant third light contribution to the total light of the system could not be determined. Using O- C residuals formed by the updated minima times, an orbital period study of the system was performed. It was confirmed that the tilted sinusoidal O- C variation corresponds to an apparent period variation caused by the light travel time effect due to an unseen third body. The following absolute parameters of the components were derived: M1 = 1.62 ± 0.04 M ⊙, M2 = 1.45 ± 0.03 M ⊙, R1 = 1.69 ± 0.03 R ⊙, R2 = 1.43 ± 0.03 R ⊙, L1 = 8.21 ± 0.90 L ⊙ and L2 = 3.64 ± 0.60 L ⊙. The distance to TX Her was calculated as 155 ± 10 pc, taking into account interstellar extinction. The position of the components of TX Her in the HR diagram are also discussed. The components are young stars with an age of ˜500 Myr.

The Kepler Mission is a photometric space mission that will continuously observe a single 100 sq deg field of view (FOV) of greater than 100,000 stars in the Cygnus-Lyra region for 4 or more years with a precision of 14 ppm (R=12). The primary goal of the mission is to detect Earth-size planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. In the process, many eclipsingbinaries (EB) will also be detected. Prior to launch, the stellar characteristics will have been detennined for all the stars in the FOV with R<16. As part of the verification process, stars with transits <5% will need to have follow-up radial velocity observations performed to determine the component masses and thereby separate transits caused by stellar companions from those caused by planets. The result will be a rich database on EBs. The community will have access to the archive for uses such as for EB modeling of the high-precision light curves. A guest observer program is also planned for objects not already on the target list.

Recent results on stars and stellar physics from IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) observations of eclipsingbinaries are discussed. Several case studies are presented, including V 444 Cyg, Aur stars, V 471 Tau and AR Lac. Topics include stellar winds and mass loss, stellar atmospheres, stellar dynamos, and surface activity. Studies of binary star dynamics and evolution are discussed. The progress made with IUE in understanding the complex dynamical and evolutionary processes taking place in W UMa-type binaries and Algol systems is highlighted. The initial results of intensive studies of the W UMa star VW Cep and three representative Algol-type binaries (in different stages of evolution) focused on gas flows and accretion, are included. The future prospects of eclipsingbinary research are explored. Remaining problems are surveyed and the next challenges are presented. The roles that eclipsingbinaries could play in studies of stellar evolution, cluster dynamics, galactic structure, mass luminosity relations for extra galactic systems, cosmology, and even possible detection of extra solar system planets using eclipsingbinaries are discussed.

The Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog (KEBC) describes 2165 eclipsingbinaries identified in the 115 deg{sup 2} Kepler Field based on observations from Kepler quarters Q0, Q1, and Q2. The periods in the KEBC are given in units of days out to six decimal places but no period errors are provided. We present the PEC (Period Error Calculator) algorithm, which can be used to estimate the period errors of strictly periodic variables observed by the Kepler Mission. The PEC algorithm is based on propagation of error theory and assumes that observation of every light curve peak/minimum in a long time-series observation can be unambiguously identified. The PEC algorithm can be efficiently programmed using just a few lines of C computer language code. The PEC algorithm was used to develop a simple model that provides period error estimates for eclipsingbinaries in the KEBC with periods less than 62.5 days: log {sigma}{sub P} Almost-Equal-To - 5.8908 + 1.4425(1 + log P), where P is the period of an eclipsingbinary in the KEBC in units of days. KEBC systems with periods {>=}62.5 days have KEBC period errors of {approx}0.0144 days. Periods and period errors of seven eclipsingbinary systems in the KEBC were measured using the NASA Exoplanet Archive Periodogram Service and compared to period errors estimated using the PEC algorithm.

Using Liverpool Telescope+RISE photometry we identify the 2.78 hr period binary star CSS 41177 as a detached eclipsing double white dwarf binary with a 21,100 K primary star and a 10,500 K secondary star. This makes CSS 41177 only the second known eclipsing double white dwarf binary after NLTT 11748. The 2 minute long primary eclipse is 40% deep and the secondary eclipse 10% deep. From Gemini+GMOS spectroscopy, we measure the radial velocities of both components of the binary from the H{alpha} absorption line cores. These measurements, combined with the light curve information, yield white dwarf masses of M{sub 1} = 0.283 {+-} 0.064 M{sub sun} and M{sub 2} = 0.274 {+-} 0.034 M{sub sun}, making them both helium core white dwarfs. As an eclipsing, double-lined spectroscopic binary, CSS 41177 is ideally suited to measuring precise, model-independent masses and radii. The two white dwarfs will merge in roughly 1.1 Gyr to form a single sdB star.

The Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog (KEBC) describes 2165 eclipsingbinaries identified in the 115 deg2 Kepler Field based on observations from Kepler quarters Q0, Q1, and Q2. The periods in the KEBC are given in units of days out to six decimal places but no period errors are provided. We present the PEC (Period Error Calculator) algorithm, which can be used to estimate the period errors of strictly periodic variables observed by the Kepler Mission. The PEC algorithm is based on propagation of error theory and assumes that observation of every light curve peak/minimum in a long time-series observation can be unambiguously identified. The PEC algorithm can be efficiently programmed using just a few lines of C computer language code. The PEC algorithm was used to develop a simple model that provides period error estimates for eclipsingbinaries in the KEBC with periods less than 62.5 days: log σ P ≈ - 5.8908 + 1.4425(1 + log P), where P is the period of an eclipsingbinary in the KEBC in units of days. KEBC systems with periods >=62.5 days have KEBC period errors of ~0.0144 days. Periods and period errors of seven eclipsingbinary systems in the KEBC were measured using the NASA Exoplanet Archive Periodogram Service and compared to period errors estimated using the PEC algorithm.

Binary systems can have periods from a fraction of a day to several years and exist in a large range of possible configurations at various evolutionary stages. About 2% of them are oriented such that eclipses can be observed. Such observations provide unique opportunities for the determination of their orbital and stellar parameters. Large-scale multi-epoch photometric surveys produce large sets of eclipsingbinaries that allow for statistical studies of binary systems. In this respect the ESA Gaia mission, launched in December 2013, is expected to deliver an unprecedented sample of millions of eclipsingbinaries. Their detection from Gaia photometry and estimation of their orbital periods are essential for their subclassification and orbital and stellar parameter determination. For a subset of these eclipsing systems, Gaia radial velocities and astrometric orbital measurements will further complement the Gaia light curves. A key challenge of the detection and period determination of the expected millions of Gaia eclipsingbinaries is the automation of the procedure. Such an automated pipeline is being developed within the Gaia Data Processing Analysis Consortium, in the framework of automated detection and identification of various types of photometric variable objects. In this poster we discuss the performance of this pipeline on eclipsingbinaries using simulated Gaia data and the existing Hipparcos data. We show that we can detect a wide range of binary systems and very often determine their orbital periods from photometry alone, even though the data sampling is relatively sparse. The results can further be improved for those objects for which spectroscopic and/or astrometric orbital measurements will also be available from Gaia.

Gaia, an ESA cornerstone mission, will obtain of the order of 100 high-precision photometric observations and lower precision radial velocity measurements over five years for around a billion stars several hundred thousand of which will be eclipsingbinaries. In order to extract the characteristics of these systems, a fully automated code must be available. During the process of this development, two tools that may be of use to the transit community have emerged: a very fast, simple, detached eclipsingbinary simulator/solver based on a new approach and an interacting eclipsingbinary simulator with most of the features of the Wilson-Devinney and Nightfall codes, but fully documented and written in easy-to-follow and highly portable Java. Currently undergoing development and testing, this code includes an intuitive graphical interface and an optimizer for the estimation of the physical parameters of the system.

We report on the discovery and analysis of short-period (0.1 days < P < 5 days), photometrically varying binary stars around and below the main-sequence turnoff of the globular clusters (GCs) NGC 3201, M10, & M12. These eclipsingbinaries (EBs) may be used to determine directly the distances to GCs and constrain the Population II stellar main-sequence masses. During our search for binaries, we discovered the signature of differential reddening across the cluster fields which was especially strong for NGC 3201 and M10. We correct for this differential reddening by calculating average EV-I values for stars in small subregions of the field with respect to a fiducial region, which significantly improves the appearance of the GC color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The reddening zero point to be added to the differential value is determined by isochrone fitting. The results of our differential dereddening are presented in the form of high-resolution extinction maps. Our search for EBs returned 14 variable stars (11 EBs) in the field of NGC 3201, 3 variables (1 EB) in M10, and 2 EBs in M12. Of these variables, only one EB in NGC 3201 (a blue straggler W Ursa Majoris contact system) is a definite GC-member, based on spectroscopic observations. Another W UMa contact EB in M12 is most likely a member of M12, based on its location in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) and its empirically calculated absolute magnitude. We present the phased lightcurves for all variables, estimate their distances and GC membership, and show their locations in the GC fields and CMDs, as well as the spectra of the NGC 3201 EBs. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results and outline future work.

We present a catalog of precise eclipse times and analysis of third-body signals among 1279 close binaries in the latest Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog. For these short-period binaries, Kepler's 30 minute exposure time causes significant smearing of light curves. In addition, common astrophysical phenomena such as chromospheric activity, as well as imperfections in the light curve detrending process, can create systematic artifacts that may produce fictitious signals in the eclipse timings. We present a method to measure precise eclipse times in the presence of distorted light curves, such as in contact and near-contact binaries which exhibit continuously changing light levels in and out of eclipse. We identify 236 systems for which we find a timing variation signal compatible with the presence of a third body. These are modeled for the light travel time effect and the basic properties of the third body are derived. We summarize the overall distribution of mutual orbital inclination angles, which together now provide strong confirmation of the basic predictions of dynamical evolution through Kozai Cycles and Tidal Friction.

In conjunction with the upcoming release of \\it Binary Maker 3.0, an extensive on-line database of eclipsingbinaries is being made available. The purposes of the atlas are: \\begin {enumerate} Allow quick and easy access to information on published eclipsingbinaries. Amass a consistent database of light and radial velocity curve solutions to aid in solving new systems. Provide invaluable querying capabilities on all of the parameters of the systems so that informative research can be quickly accomplished on a multitude of published results. Aid observers in establishing new observing programs based upon stars needing new light and/or radial velocity curves. Encourage workers to submit their published results so that others may have easy access to their work. Provide a vast but easily accessible storehouse of information on eclipsingbinaries to accelerate the process of understanding analysis techniques and current work in the field. \\end {enumerate} The database will eventually consist of all published eclipsingbinaries with light curve solutions. The following information and data will be supplied whenever available for each binary: original light curves in all bandpasses, original radial velocity observations, light curve parameters, RA and Dec, V-magnitudes, spectral types, color indices, periods, binary type, 3D representation of the system near quadrature, plots of the original light curves and synthetic models, plots of the radial velocity observations with theoretical models, and \\it Binary Maker 3.0 data files (parameter, light curve, radial velocity). The pertinent references for each star are also given with hyperlinks directly to the papers via the NASA Abstract website for downloading, if available. In addition the Atlas has extensive searching options so that workers can specifically search for binaries with specific characteristics. The website has more than 150 systems already uploaded. The URL for the site is http://ebola.eastern.edu/.

Photometric Study on an Eclipsing Close Binary System NSVS 14256825 We present multi colour light variations of a close binary system NSVS14256825 obtained at the TÜBİTAK National Observatory with T100 telescope. Orbital and physical parameters of the system NSVS14256825 are obtained by simultaneous solution of the newly obtained data with the photometric and spectroscopic data that exist in the literature .

Photoelectric U, B, V observations of the eclipsingbinary V 505 Mon, performed at the observatories in Skalnate Pleso, Budapest, Bologna and Waterloo in the years 1972-1984 are presented. The following ephemeris has been derived, using all these data: prim.min. Indications of ongoing mass transfer in a semidetached binary configuration are presented. The possible causes of the observed short-term changes of brightness are discussed.

We present a full determination of the fundamental stellar and orbital parameters of the eclipsingbinary ζ Aurigae (K4 Ib + BS V) using recent observations with the Hubble Space Telescope Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) and the Mark III long-baseline optical interferometer. The information obtained from spectroscopic and interferometric measurements is complementary, and the combination permits a complete determination of the stellar masses, the absolute semimajor axis of the orbit, and the distance. A complete solution requires that both components be visible spectroscopically, and this has always been difficult for the ζ Aur systems. The ζ Aur K star primary presents no difficulty, and accurate radial velocities are readily obtainable in the optical. However, the B star secondary is more problematic. Ground-based radial velocity measurements are hampered by the difficulty of working with the composite spectrum in the blue-violet region, the small number of suitable lines in the generally featureless optical spectrum of the B star, and the great width of the few available lines (the Balmer lines of hydrogen and a few weak He I lines) due to rapid rotation. We avoid the worst of these problems by using GHRS observations in the ultraviolet, where the K star flux is negligible and the intrinsic B star spectrum is more distinctive, and obtain the most accurate determination of the B star radial velocity amplitude to date. We also analyze published photometry of previous eclipses and near-eclipse phases of ζ Aur in order to obtain eclipse durations, which fix the length of the eclipse chord and therefore determine the orbit inclination. The long-baseline interferometry (LBI) yields, in conjunction with the spectroscopic solution, the distance to the system and thus the absolute stellar radius of the resolved K supergiant primary star, ζ Aur A. The secondary is not resolved by LBI, but its angular (and absolute) radius is found by fitting the model

Project Dwarf is a new observing campaign focused on the detection of substellar companions to low-mass (composed of late-type, subdwarf (sd) or/and white dwarf (WD) components) detached eclipsingbinaries using minima timing. The crucial condition for the object selection for this campaign is possibility to determine times of the minima with high precision. This is naturally fullfilled for eclipsingbinaries with deep and narrow minima or systems hosting a WD component showing fast ingress or egress. The observing project includes three groups of close eclipsingbinaries indicating presence of substellar circum-binary components: (i) systems with K or/and M dwarf components (ii) systems with hot subdwarf (sd) and M dwarf components (iii) systems with white dwarf (WD) component(s). The sample of the eclipsing systems have orbital periods in range of 0.1 to almost 3 days and their brightness fits possibilities of small telescopes equipped with a low-end CCD camera and at least VRI filter set. Such kind of telescopes allow us to develop observing network including also amateur astronomers.

The primary Kepler Mission provided nearly continuous monitoring of ∼200,000 objects with unprecedented photometric precision. We present the final catalog of eclipsingbinary systems within the 105 deg2 Kepler field of view. This release incorporates the full extent of the data from the primary mission (Q0-Q17 Data Release). As a result, new systems have been added, additional false positives have been removed, ephemerides and principal parameters have been recomputed, classifications have been revised to rely on analytical models, and eclipse timing variations have been computed for each system. We identify several classes of systems including those that exhibit tertiary eclipse events, systems that show clear evidence of additional bodies, heartbeat systems, systems with changing eclipse depths, and systems exhibiting only one eclipse event over the duration of the mission. We have updated the period and galactic latitude distribution diagrams and included a catalog completeness evaluation. The total number of identified eclipsing and ellipsoidal binary systems in the Kepler field of view has increased to 2878, 1.3% of all observed Kepler targets. An online version of this catalog with downloadable content and visualization tools is maintained at http://keplerEBs.villanova.edu.

The Chinese Small Telescope ARray (CSTAR) has observed an area around the Celestial South Pole at Dome A since 2008. About 20,000 light curves in the i band were obtained during the observation season lasting from 2008 March to July. The photometric precision achieves about 4 mmag at i = 7.5 and 20 mmag at i = 12 within a 30 s exposure time. These light curves are analyzed using Lomb-Scargle, Phase Dispersion Minimization, and Box Least Squares methods to search for periodic signals. False positives may appear as a variable signature caused by contaminating stars and the observation mode of CSTAR. Therefore, the period and position of each variable candidate are checked to eliminate false positives. Eclipsingbinaries are removed by visual inspection, frequency spectrum analysis, and a locally linear embedding technique. We identify 53 eclipsingbinaries in the field of view of CSTAR, containing 24 detached binaries, 8 semi-detached binaries, 18 contact binaries, and 3 ellipsoidal variables. To derive the parameters of these binaries, we use the EclipsingBinaries via Artificial Intelligence method. The primary and secondary eclipse timing variations (ETVs) for semi-detached and contact systems are analyzed. Correlated primary and secondary ETVs confirmed by false alarm tests may indicate an unseen perturbing companion. Through ETV analysis, we identify two triple systems (CSTAR J084612.64-883342.9 and CSTAR J220502.55-895206.7). The orbital parameters of the third body in CSTAR J220502.55-895206.7 are derived using a simple dynamical model.

The notable success of space-borne missions such as MOST, CoRoT and Kepler triggered a surge of exciting new results in stellar astrophysics, ranging from asteroseismology, discoveries of new subclasses of objects such as heartbeat stars, to the literal firehose of extrasolar planets. The nearly continuous observing mode and an unprecedented photometric precision provide us with data that challenge even the most sophisticated models. Eclipsingbinary stars play a major role since their accurate modeling provides fundamental stellar parameters (masses, radii, temperatures and luminosities) across the H-R diagram by relying on the uniquely favorable geometry that alleviates the need for any calibrations. NASA's Kepler mission is particularly well suited for the study of binaries; the ~10-ppm precision and the ~105-square degree field of view yield a sample of ~2500 eclipsing systems of varying types and morphologies, that have been observed uninterruptedly for 4 years in a row. I will present statistical results of the complete set of Kepler eclipsingbinaries, including the distributions of the periods, galactic latitudes, morphologies, orbital properties and fundamental stellar parameters. The mission provided us with ground-breaking observations of multiple components through the measurements of eclipse timing variations. I will emphasize the pioneering efforts to detect and analyze stellar and substellar tertiaries orbiting binary stars and explore the implications of multiplicity on the evolution of these systems. Several theoretical aspects of reliable modeling still elude our grasp, and I will provide a theorist's perspective of the direction that our field might take in the next several years. Lastly, I will focus on a few notable "head-scratchers", systems that deserve special attention because of their uniqueness and/or general importance to astrophysics. This presentation will encapsulate the results based on the work and dedication of the entire Kepler

Next-generation synoptic photometric surveys will yield unprecedented (for the astronomical community) volumes of data and the processes of discovery and rare-object identification are, by necessity, becoming more autonomous. Such autonomous searches can be used to find objects of interest applicable to a wide range of outstanding problems in astronomy, and in this paper we present the methods and results of a largely autonomous search for highly eccentric detached eclipsingbinary systems in the Machine-learned All-Sky Automated Survey Classification Catalog. 106 detached eclipsingbinaries with eccentricities of e ≳ 0.1 are presented, most of which are identified here for the first time. We also present new radial-velocity curves and absolute parameters for six of those systems with the long-term goal of increasing the number of highly eccentric systems with orbital solutions, thereby facilitating further studies of the tidal circularization process in binary stars.

We present a comprehensive photometric study of the pulsating, eclipsingbinary OO Dra. Simultaneous B- and V-band photometry of the star was carried out on 14 nights. A revised orbital period and a new ephemeris were derived from the data. The first photometric solution of the binary system and the physical parameters of the component stars are determined. They reveal that OO Dra could be a detached system with a less-massive secondary component nearly filling its Roche lobe. By subtracting the eclipsing light changes from the data, we obtained the intrinsic pulsating light curves of the hotter, massive primary component. A frequency analysis of the residual light yields two confident pulsation modes in both B- and V-band data with the dominant frequency detected at 41.865 c/d. A brief discussion concerning the evolutionary status and the pulsation nature of the binary system is finally given.

We present an automated classification of 2165 Kepler eclipsingbinary (EB) light curves that accompanied the second Kepler data release. The light curves are classified using locally linear embedding, a general nonlinear dimensionality reduction tool, into morphology types (detached, semi-detached, overcontact, ellipsoidal). The method, related to a more widely used principal component analysis, produces a lower-dimensional representation of the input data while preserving local geometry and, consequently, the similarity between neighboring data points. We use this property to reduce the dimensionality in a series of steps to a one-dimensional manifold and classify light curves with a single parameter that is a measure of "detachedness" of the system. This fully automated classification correlates well with the manual determination of morphology from the data release, and also efficiently highlights any misclassified objects. Once a lower-dimensional projection space is defined, the classification of additional light curves runs in a negligible time and the method can therefore be used as a fully automated classifier in pipeline structures. The classifier forms a tier of the Kepler EB pipeline that pre-processes light curves for the artificial intelligence based parameter estimator.

We present an automated classification of 2165 Kepler eclipsingbinary (EB) light curves that accompanied the second Kepler data release. The light curves are classified using locally linear embedding, a general nonlinear dimensionality reduction tool, into morphology types (detached, semi-detached, overcontact, ellipsoidal). The method, related to a more widely used principal component analysis, produces a lower-dimensional representation of the input data while preserving local geometry and, consequently, the similarity between neighboring data points. We use this property to reduce the dimensionality in a series of steps to a one-dimensional manifold and classify light curves with a single parameter that is a measure of 'detachedness' of the system. This fully automated classification correlates well with the manual determination of morphology from the data release, and also efficiently highlights any misclassified objects. Once a lower-dimensional projection space is defined, the classification of additional light curves runs in a negligible time and the method can therefore be used as a fully automated classifier in pipeline structures. The classifier forms a tier of the Kepler EB pipeline that pre-processes light curves for the artificial intelligence based parameter estimator.

New observations of the eclipsingbinary system NR Cam were carried out using a CCD in B, V, and R filters and new times of light minimum and new ephemeris were obtained. The B, V, and R light curves were analyzed using both the Binary Maker 3.0 and PHOEBE 0.31 programs to determine some geometrical and physical parameters of the system. These results show that NR Cam is an overcontact binary and that both components are Main Sequence stars. The O'Connell effect on NR Cam was studied and some variations in spot parameters were obtained over the different years.

We present updated O-C diagrams of selected short period eclipsingbinaries observed since 2009 with the T100 Telescope at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Antalya, Turkey), the T60 Telescope at the Adiyaman University Observatory (Adiyaman, Turkey), the 60cm at the Mt. Suhora Observatory of the Pedagogical University (Poland) and the 50cm Cassegrain telescope at the Fort Skala Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. All four telescopes are equipped with sensitive, back-illuminated CCD cameras and sets of wide band filters. One of the targets in our sample is a post-common envelope eclipsingbinary NSVS 14256825. We collected more than 50 new eclipses for this system that together with the literature data gives more than 120 eclipse timings over the time span of 8.5 years. The obtained O-C diagram shows quasi-periodic variations that can be well explained by the existence of the third body on Jupiter-like orbit. We also present new results indicating a possible light time travel effect inferred from the O-C diagrams of two other binary systems: HU Aqr and V470 Cam.

The Kepler space mission is devoted to finding Earth-size planets orbiting other stars in their habitable zones. Its large, 105 deg2 field of view features over 156,000 stars that are observed continuously to detect and characterize planet transits. Yet, this high-precision instrument holds great promise for other types of objects as well. Here we present a comprehensive catalog of eclipsingbinary stars observed by Kepler in the first 44 days of operation, the data being publicly available through MAST as of 2010 June 15. The catalog contains 1879 unique objects. For each object, we provide its Kepler ID (KID), ephemeris (BJD0, P 0), morphology type, physical parameters (T eff, log g, E(B - V)), the estimate of third light contamination (crowding), and principal parameters (T 2/T 1, q, fillout factor, and sin i for overcontacts, and T 2/T 1, (R 1 + R 2)/a, esin ω, ecos ω, and sin i for detached binaries). We present statistics based on the determined periods and measure the average occurrence rate of eclipsingbinaries to be ~1.2% across the Kepler field. We further discuss the distribution of binaries as a function of galactic latitude and thoroughly explain the application of artificial intelligence to obtain principal parameters in a matter of seconds for the whole sample. The catalog was envisioned to serve as a bridge between the now public Kepler data and the scientific community interested in eclipsingbinary stars.

We have performed a near-infrared photometric monitoring of 39 galactic young star clusters and star-forming regions, known as NIP of Stars, between the years 2009-2011, using the Swope telescope at Las Campanas Observatory (Chile) and the RetroCam camera, in H- and Y-bands. This monitoring program is complementary to the Vista Variables in the Via Láctea (VVV), as the brightest sources observed in NIP of Stars are saturated in VVV. The aim of this campaign is to perform a census of photometric variability of such clusters and star-forming regions, with the main goal of discovering massive eclipsingbinary stars. In this work, we present a preliminary analysis of this photometric monitoring program with the discovery of tens of candidates for variable stars, among them candidates for massive eclipsingbinaries. We included also to the analysis of variability, a small set of images obtained in the Ks with the VISTA telescope in the framework of VVV survey (Minniti et al. 2010). In special, we announce the infrared discovering of four massive eclipsingbinaries in the massive young cluster NGC 3603. The stars have been classified spectroscopically as O-type stars, and one of them, MTT 58, has a rare star with a spectral type of O2 If*/WN6, as one of its components. We present a preliminary analysis of the light-curves of these binaries.

We have combined the Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalogue with information from the HES, KIS and 2MASS photometric surveys to produce spectral energy distribution fits to over 2600 eclipsingbinaries in the catalogue over a wavelength range of 0.36-2.16 Å. We present primary (T1) and secondary (T2) stellar temperatures, plus information on the stellar radii and system distance ratios. The derived temperatures are on average accurate to 370 K in T1 and 620 K in T2. Our results improve on the similarly derived physical parameters of the Kepler Input Catalogue through consideration of both stars of the binary system rather than a single star model, and inclusion of additional U-band photometry. We expect these results to aid future uses of the Kepler eclipsingbinary data, both in target selection and to inform users of the extremely high-precision light curves available. We do not include surface gravities or system metallicities, as these were found to have an insignificant effect on the observed photometric bands.

Data from IUE spectra obtained with the 10 x 20-arcsec aperture on May 13, 1984, and optical spectrophotometry obtained with an SIT vidicon on the 1.5-m telescope at CTIO on April 29-May 1, 1984, are reported for the symbiotic binary SY Mus. The data are found to be consistent with a model of a red-giant secondary of 60 solar radii which completely eclipses the hot primary every 627 d but only partially eclipses the 75-solar-radius He(+) region surrounding the primary. The distance to SY Mus is estimated as 1.3 kpc. It is suggested that the large Balmer decrement in eclipse, with (H-alpha)/(H-beta) = 8.3 and (H-beta)/(H-gamma) = 1.5, is associated with an electron density of about 10 to the 10th/cu cm.

The rate of tidal circularization is predicted to be faster for relatively cool stars with convective outer layers, compared to hotter stars with radiative outer layers. Observing this effect is challenging because it requires large and well-characterized samples that include both hot and cool stars. Here we seek evidence of the predicted dependence of circularization upon stellar type, using a sample of 945 eclipsingbinaries observed by Kepler. This sample complements earlier studies of this effect, which employed smaller samples of better-characterized stars. For each Kepler binary we measure e cos ω based on the relative timing of the primary and secondary eclipses. We examine the distribution of e cos ω as a function of period for binaries composed of hot stars, cool stars, and mixtures of the two types. At the shortest periods, hot–hot binaries are most likely to be eccentric; for periods shorter than four days, significant eccentricities occur frequently for hot–hot binaries, but not for hot–cool or cool–cool binaries. This is in qualitative agreement with theoretical expectations based on the slower dissipation rates of hot stars. However, the interpretation of our results is complicated by the largely unknown ages and evolutionary states of the stars in our sample.

We present high-speed ULTRACAM photometry of the eclipsing post-common-envelope binaries DE CVn, GK Vir, NN Ser, QS Vir, RR Cae, RX J2130.6+4710, SDSS 0110+1326 and SDSS 0303+0054 and use these data to measure precise mid-eclipse times in order to detect any period variations. We detect a large (~250 s) departure from linearity in the eclipse times of QS Vir which Applegate's mechanism fails to reproduce by an order of magnitude. The only mechanism able to drive this period change is a third body in a highly elliptical orbit. However, the planetary/sub-stellar companion previously suggested to exist in this system is ruled out by our data. Our eclipse times show that the period decrease detected in NN Ser is continuing, with magnetic braking or a third body the only mechanisms able to explain this change. The planetary/sub-stellar companion previously suggested to exist in NN Ser is also ruled out by our data. Our precise eclipse times also lead to improved ephemerides for DE CVn and GK Vir. The width of a primary eclipse is directly related to the size of the secondary star and variations in the size of this star could be an indication of Applegate's mechanism or Wilson (starspot) depressions which can cause jitter in the O-C curves. We measure the width of primary eclipses for the systems NN Ser and GK Vir over several years but find no definitive variations in the radii of the secondary stars. However, our data are precise enough (Δ Rsec/Rsec < 10-5) to show the effects of Applegate's mechanism in the future. We find no evidence of Wilson depressions in either system. We also find tentative indications that flaring rates of the secondary stars depend on their mass rather than rotation rates.

Possible physical mechanisms for explaining the radio eclipses in the millisecond binary pulsar PSR 1957 + 20 are discussed. If, as recent observations suggest, the duration of the eclipses depends on the observing frequency, a plausible mechanism is free-free absorption of the radio pulses by a low-density ionized wind surrounding the companion. Detailed numerical calculations are performed for this case, and it is found that all of the observations made at 430 MHz can be reliably reproduced, including the asymmetry in the excess time delay of the pulses. The model leads to definite predictions for the duration of the eclipse at other observing frequencies, as well as the radio intensity and excess time delay of the pulses as a function of orbital phase. If the duration of the eclipses were found to be independent of frequency, then the likely mechanism would be reflection of the radio signal at a contact discontinuity between a high-density wind and the pulsar radiation. In this case, however, it is difficult to explain the observed symmetry of the eclipse. 12 refs.

Using photometric observations made with the Heliospheric Imager 1 onboard NASA's STEREO mission a list of eclipsingbinary systems was prepared which can be observed with the Coude spectrograph of the National Astronomical Observatory of Bulgaria, Smolyan, Bulgaria. The epoch and orbital period of each system were determined. The full complement of data consist of light curves extracted from STEREO HI-1 cameras photometry, wide coverage Echelle spectra obtained with the ARCES spectrograph at Apache Point Observatory, New Mexico, USA, for stellar characterization and Coude spectra with R ≈ 15000 and R ≈ 30000 obtained at NAO Rozhen for radial velocity curves. Here we present preliminary results from applying the Wilson-Devinney models for the determination of some physical parameters of three SB2 eclipsingbinary systems - HD 103694, HD 185990, and HD 214688.

Repositories of large survey data, such as the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes, provide an ideally sized sample from which to identify astrophysically interesting eclipsingbinary systems (EBs). However, constraints on the rate of human analysis in solving for the characteristic parameters make mining this data using classical techniques prohibitive. The Kepler data set provides both the high precision simple aperture photometry necessary to detect EBs and a corresponding Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog - V3 (KEBC3) of 2,406 EBs in the Kepler filed of view (FoV) as a benchmark. We developed a fully automated end-to-end computational pipeline known as the EclipsingBinary Factory (EBF) that employs pre-classification data processing modules, a feed-forward single layer perception neural network classifier (NNC), and a subsequent neural network solution estimator (NNSE). This paper focuses on the EBF component modules to include NNC, but excludes the NNSE, as a precursor to a fully automated pipeline that uses solution estimates of characteristic parameters to identify astrophysically interesting EBs. The EBF was found to recover ~94% of KEBC3 EBs contained in the Kepler “Q3” data release where the period is less than thirty days.

Eclipsingbinaries serve as a valuable source of stellar masses and radii that inform stellar evolutionary models and provide insight into additional astrophysical processes. The exquisite light curves generated by space-based missions such as Kepler offer the most stringent tests to date. We use the Kepler light curve of the 4.8 day eclipsingbinary KIC 5739896 with ground based optical spectra to derive fundamental parameters for the system. We reconstruct the component spectra to determine the individual atmospheric parameters, and model the Kepler photometry with the binary synthesis code Eclipsing Light Curve to obtain accurate masses and radii. The two components of KIC 5738698 are F-type stars with {M}1\\=\\1.39+/- 0.04 {M}ȯ , {M}2\\=\\1.34+/- 0.06 {M}ȯ , and {R}1\\=\\1.84+/- 0.03 {R}ȯ , {R}2\\=\\1.72+/- 0.03 {R}ȯ . We also report a small eccentricity (e≲ 0.0017) and unusual albedo values that are required to match the detailed shape of the Kepler light curve. Comparison with evolutionary models indicate an approximate age of 2.3 Gyr for the system.

Eclipsingbinaries can in principle provide additional constraints to facilitate asteroseismology of one or more pulsating components. We have identified 94 possible eclipsingbinary systems in a sample of over 1800 stars observed in long cadence as part of the Kepler Guest Observer Program to search for γ Doradus and δ Scuti star candidates. We show the results of a procedure to fold the light curve to identify the potential binary period, subtract a fit to the binary light curve, and perform a Fourier analysis on the residuals to search for pulsation frequencies that may arise in one or both of the stellar components. From this sample, we have found a large variety of light curve types; about a dozen stars show frequencies consistent with δ Sct or γ Dor pulsations, or light curve features possibly produced by stellar activity (rotating spots). For several stars, the folded candidate `binary' light curve resembles more closely that of an RR Lyr, Cepheid, or high-amplitude δ Sct star. We show highlights of our results and discuss the potential for asteroseismology of the most interesting objects.

We present a catalogue of 1768 eclipsingbinary stars (EBs) detected in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by the second generation of the EROS survey (hereinafter EROS-2); 493 of them are new discoveries located in outer regions (out of the central bar) of the LMC. These sources were originally included in a list of candidate classical Cepheids (CCs) extracted from the EROS-2 catalogue on the basis of the period (0.89 < PEROS < 15.85 d) versus luminosity [13.39 < < 17.82 mag] diagram. After visual inspection of the light curves we reclassified them as eclipsingbinaries. They have blue colours (BEROS - REROS < 0.2 mag) hence we classed them as hot eclipsingbinaries (HEBs) containing hot massive components: main sequence (MS) stars or blue giants. We present Ks-band light curves for 999 binaries from our sample that have a counterpart in the VISTA near-infrared ESO public survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC). We provide spectral classifications of 13 HEBs with existing spectroscopy. We divided our sample into contact-like binaries and detached/semi-detached systems based on both visual inspection and the parameters of the Fourier decomposition of the light curves and analysed the period-luminosity (PL) relations of the contact-like systems using the REROS and Ks magnitudes at maximum light. The contact-like binaries in our sample do not follow PL relations. We analysed the sample of contact binaries from the OGLE III catalogue and confirmed that PLI and PL_{K_s} sequences are defined only by eclipsingbinaries containing a red giant component.

The Kepler space mission is devoted to finding Earth-size planets orbiting other stars in their habitable zones. Its large, 105 deg{sup 2} field of view features over 156,000 stars that are observed continuously to detect and characterize planet transits. Yet, this high-precision instrument holds great promise for other types of objects as well. Here we present a comprehensive catalog of eclipsingbinary stars observed by Kepler in the first 44 days of operation, the data being publicly available through MAST as of 2010 June 15. The catalog contains 1879 unique objects. For each object, we provide its Kepler ID (KID), ephemeris (BJD{sub 0}, P{sub 0}), morphology type, physical parameters (T{sub eff}, log g, E(B - V)), the estimate of third light contamination (crowding), and principal parameters (T{sub 2}/T{sub 1}, q, fillout factor, and sin i for overcontacts, and T{sub 2}/T{sub 1}, (R{sub 1} + R{sub 2})/a, esin {omega}, ecos {omega}, and sin i for detached binaries). We present statistics based on the determined periods and measure the average occurrence rate of eclipsingbinaries to be {approx}1.2% across the Kepler field. We further discuss the distribution of binaries as a function of galactic latitude and thoroughly explain the application of artificial intelligence to obtain principal parameters in a matter of seconds for the whole sample. The catalog was envisioned to serve as a bridge between the now public Kepler data and the scientific community interested in eclipsingbinary stars.

We present CCD photometry and low-resolution spectra of the eclipsingbinary GR Boo. A new ephemeris is determined based on all the available times of the minimum light. The period analysis reveals that the orbital period is decreasing with a rate of dP / dt = - 2.05 ×10-10 d yr-1 . A photometric analysis for the obtained light curves is performed with the Wilson-Devinney Differential Correction program for the first time. The photometric solutions confirm the W UMa-type nature of the binary system. The mass ratio turns out to be q = 0.985 ± 0.001 . The evolutionary status and physical nature of the binary system are briefly discussed.

The FRESIP project offers an unprecedented opportunity to study pulsations in hot stars (which vary on time scales of a day) over a several year period. The photometric data will determine what frequencies are present, how or if the amplitudes change with time, and whether there is a connection between pulsation and mass loss episodes. It would initiate a new field of asteroseismology studies of hot star interiors. A search should be made for selected hot stars for inclusion in the list of project targets. Many of the primary solar mass targets will be eclipsingbinaries, and I present estimates of their frequency and typical light curves. The photometric data combined with follow up spectroscopy and interferometric observations will provide fundamental data on these stars. The data will provide definitive information on the mass ratio distribution of solar-mass binaries (including the incidence of brown dwarf companions) and on the incidence of planets in binary systems.

The original Kepler mission observed and characterized over 2400 eclipsingbinaries (EBs) in addition to its prolific exoplanet detections. Despite the mechanical malfunction and subsequent non-recovery of two reaction wheels used to stabilize the instrument, the Kepler satellite continues collecting data in its repurposed K2 mission surveying a series of fields along the ecliptic plane. Here, we present an analysis of the first full baseline K2 data release: the Campaign 0 data set. In the 7761 light curves we have identified a total of 207 EBs. Of these, 97 are new discoveries that were not previously identified. Our pixel-level analysis of these objects has also resulted in identification of several false positives (observed targets contaminated by neighbouring EBs), as well as the serendipitous discovery of two short-period exoplanet candidates. We provide catalogue cross-matched source identifications, orbital periods, morphologies and ephemerides for these eclipsing systems. We also describe the incorporation of the K2 sample into the Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog,§ present spectroscopic follow-up observations for a limited selection of nine systems and discuss prospects for upcoming K2 campaigns.

The light variability of the above system was suspected first by Schilt and Hill (1938) and its eclipsingbinary nature was confirmed by Reim and Geger (1955). Photoelectric minimum times of this Algol type eclipsingbinary system have been presented by many observers, Scarfe et al (1973), Pohl and Kizilimark (1975). The spectroscopic orbital elements of the brighter A0 component has been obtained from 56 radial velocities by Ebbighausen (1967). In this work new radial velocity measurements of the BD+52 ̂ 2009 system based on Reticon observations are presented. The velocity measurements themselves are based on fitting theoretical profiles generated by a physical model of the binary, to the observed cross-correlation functions (ccf). Such profiles match this function very well, much better in fact than gaussian profiles which are generally used. The procedures used here have been mentioned in a paper by Hill and Khalesseh (1991). Stars, HD154417 and HR7001 were used as the comparison stars which were successfully used in work by Khalesseh and Hill (1992). All spectrograms were obtained at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) of Victoria with a variety of instruments which are described in the paper by Hill et al (1994). The above system with ``c-e'' quality orbits was selected from the Eighth Catalogue of the Orbital Elements of Spectroscopic Stars (Batten et al 1989). The results show: (The ADS regrets that the array can not be depicted in ASCII.)

A series of over 2000 images of the 9th magnitude eclipsingbinary V1061 (HD235444, spectral type F8) was obtained during Autumn, 2002 using the 16-inch reflecting telescope of the Gettysburg College Observatory and a Photometrics 350 Camera equipped with a SITe 1024 x 1024 back-illuminated CCD chip. From the densely sampled BVRI light curves derived from these images, along with high-precision radial velocity data obtained at the Center for Astrophysics, we have computed a preliminary set of physical characteristics of the components of the V1061 Cygni system.

In this study, the apsidal motion analysis of two eccentric eclipsingbinaries, FT Ori (P = 3.150 days, e = 0.397) and MZ Lac (P = 3.158 days, e = 0.399), have been presented. Their O - C diagrams were studied using all reliable times of minima found in the literature and new values for the elements of the apsidal motion for two systems have been computed. We found long periods of apsidal motion of 538 ± 12 years and 424 ± 6 years for FT Ori and MZ Lac, respectively.

We present fundamental parameters of 4 massive eclipsingbinaries in the young massive cluster Westerlund 1. The goal is to measure accurate masses and radii of their component stars, which provide much needed constraints for evolutionary models of massive stars. Accurate parameters can further be used to determine a dynamical lower limit for the magnetar progenitor and to obtain an independent distance to the cluster. Our results confirm and extend the evidence for a high mass for the progenitor of the magnetar. The authors acknowledge research and travel support from the European Commission Framework Program Seven under the Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant PIRG04-GA-2008-239335.

We performed spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the detached eclipsingbinary KIC11560447, in order to investigate the spot activity of the system. In this context, we reconstructed the surface maps with the help of the code DoTS, using time series spectra obtained at the 2.1m Otto Struve Telescope of the McDonald Observatory. We also analysed high precision Kepler light curves of the system simultaneously with the code DoTS to reveal the spot migration and activity behaviour.

We investigate the luminous star ELHC 10 located in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), concluding that it is a SB1 long-period eclipsingbinary where the main eclipse is produced by an opaque structure hiding the secondary star. For the more luminous component we determine an effective temperature of 6500 ± 250 K, log g = 1.0 ± 0.5 and luminosity 5970 L⊙. From the radial velocities of their photospheric lines, we calculate a mass function of 7.37 ± 0.55 M⊙. Besides Balmer and forbidden N II emission, we find splitting of metallic lines, characterized by strong discrete absorption components, alternatively seen at the blue and red side of the photospheric spectrum. These observations hardly can be interpreted in terms of an structured atmosphere but might reflect mass streams in an interacting binary. The primary shows signatures of s-process nucleosynthesis and might be a low-mass post-asymptotic giant branch star with a rare evolutionary past if the binary is semidetached. The peak separation and constancy of radial velocity in H α suggest that most of the Balmer emission comes from a circumbinary disc.

Light was thought of as something infinite and transcendent till 1676 when Olaus Roemer carried out precise measurements of the times of eclipses of Jovian moons. Roemer's scrupulous observations led him to a qualitative conclusion that light travels at a finite speed, at the same time providing scientists with the basics of the Light-Time Effect (LTE). LTE is observed whenever the distance between the observer and any kind of periodic event changes in time. The usual cause of this distance change is the reflex motion about the system's barycenter due to the gravitational influence of one or more additional bodies. We present results of the analysis of 5032 eclipsing contact and detached binaries from the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) catalogue for variations in the times of eclipses. We use an approach known from the radio pulsar timing where a template radio pulse of a pulsar is used as a reference to measure the times of arrivals of the collected pulses. Most of the variations we detect in O--Cs correspond to a linear period change, but three show evidence of more than one complete LTE-orbit. For these objects we present preliminary orbital solutions. Our results demonstrate that the timing analysis employed in radio pulsar timing can be effectively used to study large data sets from photometric surveys. This is the prelude to the analysis of data gathered by the Solaris Project which aims at the search for circumbinary planets.

Phenomenological modeling of variable stars allows determination of a set of the parameters, which are needed for classification in the "General Catalogue of Variable Stars" and similar catalogs. We apply a recent method NAV ("New Algol Variable") to eclipsingbinary stars of different types. Although all periodic functions may be represented as Fourier series with an infinite number of coefficients, this is impossible for a finite number of the observations. Thus one may use a restricted Fourier series, i.e. a trigonometric polynomial (TP) of order s either for fitting the light curve, or to make a periodogram analysis. However, the number of parameters needed drastically increases with decreasing width of minimum. In the NAV algorithm, the special shape of minimum is used, so the number of parameters is limited to 10 (if the period and initial epoch are fixed) or 12 (not fixed). We illustrate the NAV method by application to a recently discovered Algol-type eclipsing variable 2MASS J11080308-6145589 (in the field of previously known variable star RS Car) and compare results to that obtained using the TP fits. For this system, the statistically optimal number of parameters is 44, but the fit is still worse than that of the NAV fit. Application to the system GSC 3692-00624 argues that the NAV fit is better than the TP one even for the case of EW-type stars with much wider eclipses. Model parameters are listed.

Using Wood's (1972) model we have analyzed Binnendijk's (1973) two-colour photoelectric observations - as yet unsolved - of the eclipsingbinary DI Peg and the photoelectric lightcurves published by Rucin'ski (1967). Our photoelectric elements, though still in favour of a semidetached configuration considerably differ from Ruciński's previous solution. The F4 primary is accompanied by a fainter and smaller (probably late G) cooler star, which fills its Roche lobe for our photometric mass ratio q = 0.3. The absolute elements of DI Peg, tentatively estimated by assuming for the primary a mass of 1.4 Msun, reveal that the secondary appears to be clearly undermassive for its temperature, size and luminosity, like common mass-exchange cooler remnants of Algol-type binaries.

We try five different artificial neural models, four models based on PNN (Perceptron Neural Network), and one using GRNN (Generalized Regression Neural Network) as tools for the automated light curve analysis of W UMa-type eclipsingbinary systems. These algorithms, which are inspired by the Rucinski method, are designed and trained using MATLAB 7.6. A total of 17,820 generated contact binary light curves are first analyzed using a truncated cosine series with 11 coefficients and the most significant coefficients are applied as inputs of the neural models. The required sample light curves are systematically generated, using the WD2007 program (Wilson and Devinney 2007). The trained neural models are then applied to estimate the geometrical parameters of seven W UMa-type systems. The efficiency of different neural network models are then evaluated and compared to find the most efficient one.

An eclipsing X-ray binary pulsator consistent with the location of A1540-53 was observed. The source pulse period was 528.93 plus or minus 0.10 seconds. The binary nature is confirmed by a Doppler curve for the pulsation period. The eclipse angle of 30.5 deg plus or minus 3 deg and the 4 h transition to and from eclipse suggest an early type, giant or supergiant, primary star.

As part of an ongoing investigation into the spectroscopic variability of massive stars, we present preliminary results for two double-lined eclipsingbinary systems, HD 130146 (VZ Cen) and LS 3052 (V 1176 Cen). In our analysis we used archival Hipparcos photometry for HD 103146 and All Sky Automated Survey V-band photometry for LS 3052. All spectra were obtained from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5-m telescope. The systems were analyzed using the Eclipsing Light Curve code (ELC; Orosz & Hauschildt 2000). A combined analysis of these data yields masses, radii, effective temperatures, gravities, and estimates for the ages and distances of each system. HD 103146 is a 4.9 day binary with a slightly evolved primary (T_{eff} 28000 K and log g 3.75) while the secondary nearly fills its Roche lobe. LS 3052 has an eccentric orbit with a period of 31 days and contains both an evolved primary and secondary. Preliminary solutions indicate the primary's mass to be 33 Mo with a 21 Mo secondary.

I demonstrate that an effect similar to the Roemer delay, familiar from timing radio pulsars, should be detectable in the first eclipsing double white dwarf (WD) binary, NLTT 11748. By measuring the difference of the time between the secondary and primary eclipses from one-half period (4.6 s), one can determine the physical size of the orbit and hence constrain the masses of the individual WDs. A measurement with uncertainty <0.1 s-possible with modern large telescopes-will determine the individual masses to {+-}0.02 M{sub sun} when combined with good-quality (<1 km s{sup -1}) radial velocity data, although the eccentricity must also be known to high accuracy ({+-}10{sup -3}). Mass constraints improve as P {sup -1/2} (where P is the orbital period), so this works best in wide binaries and should be detectable even for non-degenerate stars, but such constraints require the mass ratio to differ from 1, as well as undistorted orbits.

We propose to observe a combined eclipse- and occultation event of the binary asteroid system (617) Patroclus, a member of the intriguing population of Jupiter Trojans. This will be the first thermal-IR observation of such a rare event. Patroclus, the only known Trojan binary, is a particularly well-suited target because its orbital parameters are well known (Marchis et al. 2006) and both components are of roughly equal size, which maximizes the observable effects of the eclipse event. Observing a nearly total eclipse allows the surface thermal inertia, which depends on key physical properties such as the surface porosity, to be determined in a uniquely direct way. Also, occultations allow one component to be studied without significant contamination from the other, thereby facilitating the determination of possible differences between their surface compositions. Note that the angular distance between the components does not exceed 0.15". The proposed Spitzer IRS observations will allow us to clarify the physical nature of the Patroclus system and constrain its mineralogy by providing measurements of the thermal inertia, size and albedo of each component, and the spectral silicate features around 10microns. From spatially resolved Keck imaging Marchis et al. (2006) have recently determined the orbital parameters of the Patroclus system. From these they determined the total mass of the system which, combined with a previous estimate of Patroclus' size, implies a bulk mass density of only 0.8 g cm-3, indicative of a composition dominated by water ice. This supports the idea that large Jupiter Trojans, such as Patroclus, are among the most primordial bodies in the solar system accessible to observations, and that they are basically collisionally unaltered since their formation.

{omega} Centauri is the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way and hence contains the largest number of variable stars within a single cluster. The results of photometric solutions are presented for the EA-type binary V239 in this cluster. According to our analysis, V239 is a typical Algol-type binary. We obtain M = 1.20 {+-} 0.10 M{sub Sun }, R = 1.21 {+-} 0.03 R{sub Sun }, and L = 13.68 {+-} 0.63 L{sub Sun} for the primary component. The secondary component has M = 0.07 {+-} 0.02 M{sub Sun }, R = 0.90 {+-} 0.03 R{sub Sun }, and L = 2.17 {+-} 0.14 L{sub Sun }. The binary system is located in the blue straggler region on the color-magnitude diagram of {omega} Centauri and the mass of the primary component exceeds the mass of a turnoff star. Therefore, we think that V239 is a blue straggler and that V239 was formed by mass transfer from the present secondary component to the present primary.

VX Her is a pulsating variable star with a period of .4556504 days. It is believed to be part of an eclipsingbinary system (Fitch et al. 1966). This hypothesis originated from Fitch seeing VX Her's minimum point on its light curve reaching a 0.7 magnitude fainter than normal and remaining that way for nearly two hours. If VX Her were indeed a binary system, I would expect to see similar results with a fainter minimum and a broader, more horizontal dip. Having reduced and analyzed images from the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy Observatory in Chile and Kitt Peak, as well as images from a 0.15m reflector at East Tennessee State University, I found that VX Her has the standard light curve of the prototype variable star, RR Lyrae. Using photometry, I found no differing features in its light curve to suggest that it is indeed a binary system. However, more observations are needed in case VX Her is a wide binary.

Red giants with solar-like oscillations are astrophysical laboratories for probing the Milky Way. The Kepler Space Telescope revolutionized asteroseismology by consistently monitoring thousands of targets, including several red giants in eclipsingbinaries. Binarity allows us to directly measure stellar properties independently of asteroseismology. In this dissertation, we study a subset of eight red giant eclipsingbinaries observed by Kepler with a range of orbital periods, oscillation behavior, and stellar activity. Two of the systems do not show solar-like oscillations at all. We use a suite of modeling tools to combine photometry and spectroscopy into a comprehensive picture of each star's life. One noteworthy case is a double red giant binary. The two stars are nearly twins, but have one main set of solar-like oscillations with unusually low-amplitude, wide modes, likely due to stellar activity and modest tidal forces acting over the 171 day eccentric orbit. Mixed modes indicate the main oscillating star is on the secondary red clump (a core-He-burning star), and stellar evolution modeling supports this with a coeval history for a pair of red clump stars. The other seven systems are all red giant branch stars (shell-H-burning) with main sequence companions. The two non-oscillators have the strongest magnetic signatures and some of the strongest lifetime tidal forces with nearly-circular 20–34 day orbits. One system defies this trend with oscillations and a 19 day orbit. The four long-period systems (>100 days) have oscillations, more eccentric orbits, and less stellar activity. They are all detached binaries consistent with coevolution. We find the asteroseismic scaling laws are approximately correct, but fail the most for stars that are least like the Sun by systematically overestimating both mass and radius. Strong magnetic activity and tidal effects often occur in tandem and act to suppress solar-like oscillations. These red giant binaries offer an

We present high-quality ULTRACAM photometry of the eclipsing detached double white dwarf binary NLTT 11748. This system consists of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf and an extremely low mass (<0.2 M {sub ☉}) helium-core white dwarf in a 5.6 hr orbit. To date, such extremely low-mass white dwarfs, which can have thin, stably burning outer layers, have been modeled via poorly constrained atmosphere and cooling calculations where uncertainties in the detailed structure can strongly influence the eventual fates of these systems when mass transfer begins. With precise (individual precision ≈1%), high-cadence (≈2 s), multicolor photometry of multiple primary and secondary eclipses spanning >1.5 yr, we constrain the masses and radii of both objects in the NLTT 11748 system to a statistical uncertainty of a few percent. However, we find that overall uncertainty in the thickness of the envelope of the secondary carbon/oxygen white dwarf leads to a larger (≈13%) systematic uncertainty in the primary He WD's mass. Over the full range of possible envelope thicknesses, we find that our primary mass (0.136-0.162 M {sub ☉}) and surface gravity (log (g) = 6.32-6.38; radii are 0.0423-0.0433 R {sub ☉}) constraints do not agree with previous spectroscopic determinations. We use precise eclipse timing to detect the Rømer delay at 7σ significance, providing an additional weak constraint on the masses and limiting the eccentricity to ecos ω = (– 4 ± 5) × 10{sup –5}. Finally, we use multicolor data to constrain the secondary's effective temperature (7600 ± 120 K) and cooling age (1.6-1.7 Gyr).

We identify SDSS 0110+1326, SDSS 0303+0054 and SDSS 1435+3733 as three eclipsing white dwarf plus main sequence binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and report on their follow-up observations. Orbital periods for the three systems are established through multi-season photometry. Time-resolved spectroscopic observations lead to the determination of the radial velocities of the secondary stars. A decomposition technique of the SDSS spectra is used to estimate the surface gravities and effective temperatures of the white dwarfs, as well as the spectral types of the secondaries. By combining the constraints from the spectral decomposition, the radial velocity data and the modeling of the systems' light curves, we determine the physical parameters of the stellar components. Two of the white dwarfs are of low mass (Mwd ~ 0.4 Modot), while the third white dwarf is unusually massive (MWD ~ 0.8-0.9 Modot) for a post-common envelope system.

IM Per is a detached A7 eccentric eclipsingbinary star. We have obtained extensive measurements of the light curve (28,225 differential magnitude observations) and radial velocity curve (81 spectroscopic observations) which allow us to fit orbits and determine the absolute properties of the components very accurately: masses of 1.7831 ± 0.0094 and 1.7741 ± 0.0097 solar masses, and radii of 2.409 ± 0.018 and 2.366 ± 0.017 solar radii. The orbital period is 2.25422694(15) days and the eccentricity is 0.0473(26). A faint third component was detected in the analysis of the light curves, and also directly observed in the spectra. The observed rate of apsidal motion is consistent with theory (U = 151.4 ± 8.4 year). We determine a distance to the system of 566 ± 46 pc.

V335 Ser is now known to be an eccentric double-lined A1+A3 binary star with fairly deep (0.5 mag) partial eclipses. Previous studies of the system are improved with 7456 differential photometric observations from the URSA WebScope and 5666 from the NFO WebScope, and 67 high-resolution spectroscopic observations from the Tennessee State University 2 m automatic spectroscopic telescope. From dates of minima, the apsidal period is about 880 years. Accurate (better than 2%) masses and radii are determined from analysis of the two new light curves and the radial velocity curve. Theoretical models match the absolute properties of the stars at an age of about 380 Myr, though the age agreement for the two components is poor. Tidal theory correctly confirms that the orbit should still be eccentric, but we find that standard tidal theory is unable to match the observed asynchronous rotation rates of the components' surface layers.

HY Vir is found to be a double-lined F0m+F5 binary star with relatively shallow (0.3 mag) partial eclipses. Previous studies of the system are improved with 7509 differential photometric observations from the URSA WebScope and 8862 from the NFO WebScope, and 68 high-resolution spectroscopic observations from the Tennessee State University 2 m automatic spectroscopic telescope, and the 1 m coude-feed spectrometer at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Very accurate (better than 0.5%) masses and radii are determined from analysis of the new light curves and radial velocity curves. Theoretical models match the absolute properties of the stars at an age of about 1.35 Gy.

ellc analyzes the light curves of detached eclipsingbinary stars and transiting exoplanet systems. The model represents stars as triaxial ellipsoids, and the apparent flux from the binary is calculated using Gauss-Legendre integration over the ellipses that are the projection of these ellipsoids on the sky. The code can also calculate the fluxweighted radial velocity of the stars during an eclipse (Rossiter-McLaghlin effect). ellc can model a wide range of eclipsingbinary stars and extrasolar planetary systems, and can enable the use of modern Monte Carlo methods for data analysis and model testing.

We present the results of photometric observations of the Apollo asteroid 1991 VH. Its lightcurve consists of two components: the first is the rotational lightcurve with periodPs= (0.109327 ± 0.000003) d and amplitude 0.09 mag, while the second, with periodPl= (1.362 ± 0.001) d, shows two minima with depth 0.16-0.19 mag, each with a duration of about 0.10 d, and little or no variation at phases between them. We present a model of the occulting/eclipsingbinary asteroid with the secondary-to-primary diameter ratiods/dp= 0.40 that explains the observed lightcurve. In this model, the primary's rotation is not synchronized with the orbital motion and produces the short-period lightcurve component (Ps). The orbital period isPl. The mutual orbit's semimajor axis is estimated to bea= (2.7 ± 0.3)dp; the eccentricity is 0.07 ± 0.02. The similarity between the lightcurve of 1991 VH and those of 1994 AW1(Pravec and Hahn,Icarus127, 431, 1997) and (3671) Dionysus (Mottolaet al.1997,IAU Circular6680) suggests that binary asteroids may be common among near-Earth asteroids. Based on the three known cases, we tentatively derive some typical characteristics of this new class of asteroids. They are mostly consistent with the hypothesis that binary asteroids are generated by tidal disruptions of weak, gravitationally bound aggregates (so-called “rubble piles”) during encounters with the Earth (Bottke and Melosh,Nature281, 51, 1996). A possible relationship between the population of binary asteroids and the belt of small near-Earth asteroids is discussed.

Proper characterization of binary stars is provided by high quality spectra combined with light curves allowing for precise determination of stellar masses, radii, and effective temperatures along with binary semi-major axes and eccentricities. A program to extract radial velocities of Kepler eclipsingbinaries observed by SDSS APOGEE is presented. We combine the quality light curves from the Kepler telescope with high precision radial velocity measurements from SDSS APOGEE in order to characterize the binary and stellar components. We report on the first results of this program on three eclipsingbinaries, KIC 6864859, KIC 6698670, and KIC 7121885.

We present the first Doppler images of the active eclipsingbinary system SZ Psc, based on the high-resolution spectral data sets obtained in 2004 November and 2006 September-December. The least-squares deconvolution technique was applied to derive high signal-to-noise profiles from the observed spectra of SZ Psc. Absorption features contributed by a third component of the system were detected in the LSD profiles at all observed phases. We estimated the mass and period of the third component to be about 0.9 M⊙ and 1283 ± 10 d, respectively. After removing the contribution of the third body from the least-squares deconvolved profiles, we derived the surface maps of SZ Psc. The resulting Doppler images indicate significant star-spot activities on the surface of the K subgiant component. The distributions of star-spots are more complex than that revealed by previous photometric studies. The cooler K component exhibited pronounced high-latitude spots as well as numerous low- and intermediate-latitude spot groups during the entire observing seasons, but did not show any large, stable polar cap, different from many other active RS CVn-type binaries.

Presented are new precision multi-band observations for the eclipsingbinary V958 Mon. The orbital period is less than 0.3d and the light curves exhibit total eclipses. A new ephemeris was determined and a simultaneous 4-color light curve solution was obtained with the Wilson-Devinney program. The geometric and photometric elements derived are consistent with a W-type contact binary.

Past photometric observations (1,2) of the eclipsingbinary DE CVn have suggested that it is a white dwarf/red dwarf pair. The data show a deep (1 mag) primary minimum in the U band with a very steep ingress and egress, a much shallower (0.1 mag) primary minimum in R, and lack of a secondary minimum. In May 2005, we obtained more accurate CCD photometry in the U band with the 31" Lowell Observatory telescope. Photometric points on both branches of the eclipse and a well represented plateau at its bottom allowed for accurate determinations of the middles of the observed minima. By combining those with the times of minima from our previous observations in UBVR(2), from unpublished data of Robb & Greimel (priv. comm.), and from(1,3), we improved the ephemeris to HJD= 2450549.4697 + 0.36413865E. We used two independent programs (4,5) to model the binary. The physical and geometrical parameters obtained from the two models are similar and close to those proposed in (1), except for the position of a dark spot (or collection of small spots) needed to explain the asymmetry of the wave seen in V and R and the inequality of light in quadratures. The authors thank R.M. Robb and R. Greimel for permission to use their unpublished data. This project was supported by the NSF/REU grant AST-0354056 and the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association. REW's participation was supported by the NSF as part of grant 0307561. References: (1) Robb, R.M. & Greimel R. 1997, IBVS, No.4486. (2) Samus, N.N., Flora, C.T., Khruzina, T., Holms, S., Ezhkova, O. & Wilson, R.E. (in prep.). (3) Tas, G. et al. 2004, IBVS, No.5548. (4) Wilson R.E., Devinney E.J. 1971, ApJ, 166, 605. (5) Khruzina, T.S. 1998, Astronomy Reports, 42, 180; Khruzina, T.S. & Cherepashchuk, A.M. 1995, Astronomy Reports, 39, 178.

The Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog lists the stellar parameters from the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC) augmented by: primary and secondary eclipse depth, eclipse width, separation of eclipse, ephemeris, morphological classification parameter, and principal parameters determined by geometric analysis of the phased light curve. The previous release of the Catalog (Paper II; Slawson et al. 2011, cat. J/AJ/142/160) contained 2165 objects, through the second Kepler data release (Q0-Q2). In this release, 2878 objects are identified and analyzed from the entire data set of the primary Kepler mission (Q0-Q17). The online version of the Catalog is currently maintained at http://keplerEBs.villanova.edu/. A static version of the online Catalog associated with this paper is maintained at MAST https://archive.stsci.edu/kepler/eclipsing_binaries.html. (10 data files).

We report on an archival X-ray observation of the eclipsing RS CVn binary XY UMa (P orb ≈ 0.48 d). In two Chandra ACIS observations spanning 200 ks and almost five orbital periods, three flares occurred. We find no evidence for eclipses in the X-ray flux. The flares took place around times of primary eclipse, with one flare occurring shortly (< 0.125 P orb) after a primary eclipse, and the other two happening shortly (< 0.05 P orb) before a primary eclipse. Two flares occurred within roughly one orbital period (Δα ≈ 1.024 P orb) of each other. We analyze the light curve and spectra of the system, and investigate coronal length scales during both quiescence and flares, as well as the timing of the flares. We explore the possibility that the flares are orbit-induced by introducing a small orbital eccentricity, which is quite challenging for this close binary.

The Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog lists the stellar parameters from the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC) augmented by: primary and secondary eclipse depth, eclipse width, separation of eclipse, ephemeris, morphological classification parameter, and principal parameters determined by geometric analysis of the phased light curve. The previous release of the Catalog (Paper II; Slawson et al. 2011, cat. J/AJ/142/160) contained 2165 objects, through the second Kepler data release (Q0-Q2). In this release, 2878 objects are identified and analyzed from the entire data set of the primary Kepler mission (Q0-Q17). The online version of the Catalog is currently maintained at http://keplerEBs.villanova.edu/. A static version of the online Catalog associated with this paper is maintained at MAST https://archive.stsci.edu/kepler/eclipsing_binaries.html. (9 data files).

The overwhelming majority of stellar remnants are white dwarfs. Despite their abundance and importance to, amongst others, Galactic age determinations and our understanding of type Ia supernovae fewer than a dozen white dwarfs have model-independent measurements of fundamental parameters like mass and radius. A major limitation on the observational side is that such parameters are extremely difficult to determine in a model-independant way for single white dwarfs. Close white dwarf binaries can provide these important tests.The largest class of white dwarf binaries in the Galaxy are the detached double white dwarfs, which are becoming increasingly popular as the progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae. In recent years four eclipsing double white dwarfs have been found, creating the opportunity for precision mass and radius measurements of two white dwarfs at once. Our target, CSS 41177, contains two extremely low-gravity white dwarfs with very different temperatures, presenting us with a unique chance to test the existing mass-radius relation at its extremes.Here we propose a 2 orbit HST/COS FUV observation of CSS 41177, to accurately determine the temperature and surface gravity of the hot white dwarf. Through the flux ratio from the light curve this will at the same time constrain those of the cool white dwarf. Therefore it will allow us to add two more white dwarfs with accurate parameters to the short list of white dwarfs for which precise masses and radii are known.Note: The proposed observations are part of the doctoral thesis of Ms. Madelon C.P. Bours.

The EclipsingBinaries (EBs) via Artificial Intelligence (EBAI) Project is applying machine learning techniques to elucidate the nature of EBs. Previously, Prsa, et al. applied artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained on physically-realistic Wilson-Devinney models to solve the light curves of the 1882 detached EBs in the LMC discovered by the OGLE II Project (Wyrzykowski, et al.) fully automatically, bypassing the need for manually-derived starting solutions. A curious result is the non-monotonic distribution of the temperature ratio parameter T2/T1, featuring a subsidiary peak noted previously by Mazeh, et al. in an independent analysis using the EBOP EB solution code (Tamuz, et al.). To explore this and to gain a fuller understanding of the multivariate EBAI LMC observational plus solutions data, we have employed automatic clustering and advanced visualization (CAV) techniques. Clustering the OGLE II data aggregates objects that are similar with respect to many parameter dimensions. Measures of similarity for example, could include the multidimensional Euclidean Distance between data objects, although other measures may be appropriate. Applying clustering, we find good evidence that the T2/T1 subsidiary peak is due to evolved binaries, in support of Mazeh et al.'s speculation. Further, clustering suggests that the LMC detached EBs occupying the main sequence region belong to two distinct classes. Also identified as a separate cluster in the multivariate data are stars having a Period-I band relation. Derekas et al. had previously found a Period-K band relation for LMC EBs discovered by the MACHO Project (Alcock, et al.). We suggest such CAV techniques will prove increasingly useful for understanding the large, multivariate datasets increasingly being produced in astronomy. We are grateful for the support of this research from NSF/RUI Grant AST-05-75042 f.

We report the characteristics of 611 eclipsingbinary stars in the Large Megallanic Cloud found by using the MACHO Project photometry database. The sample is magnitude limited, and extends down the main sequence to about spectral type A0. Many evolved binaries are also included. Each eclipsingbinary is classified according to the traditional scheme of the {ital General Catalogue of Variable Stars} (EA and EB), and also according to a new decimal classification scheme defined in this paper. The new scheme is sensitive to the two major sources of variance in eclipsingbinary star light curves{emdash}the sum of radii, and the surface-brightness ratio, and allow greater precision in characterizing the light curves. Examples of each type of light curve and their variations are given. Sixty-four of the eclipsingbinaries have eccentric, rather than circular, orbits. The ephemeris and principal photometric characteristics of each eclipsingbinary are listed in a table. Photometric orbits based on the Nelson{endash}Davis{endash}Etzel model have been fitted to all light curves. These data will be useful for planning future observations of these binaries. Plots of all data and fitted orbits and a table of the fitted orbital parameters are available on the AAS CD-ROM series, Vol. 9, 1997. These data are also available at the MACHO home page (http://wwwmacho.mcmaster.ca/). {copyright} {ital 1997 American Astronomical Society.}

We have obtained red-wavelength spectroscopy and Johnson B and V differential photoelectric photometry of the eclipsingbinary VV Crv = HR 4821. The system is the secondary of the common proper motion double star ADS 8627, which has a separation of 5.''2. VV Crv has an orbital period of 3.144536 days and a low but non-zero eccentricity of 0.085. With the Wilson-Devinney program we have determined a simultaneous solution of our spectroscopic and photometric observations. Those orbital elements produce masses of M {sub 1} = 1.978 ± 0.010 M {sub ☉} and M {sub 2} = 1.513 ± 0.008 M {sub ☉}, and radii of R {sub 1} = 3.375 ± 0.010 R {sub ☉} and R {sub 2} = 1.650 ± 0.008 R {sub ☉} for the primary and secondary, respectively. The effective temperatures of the two components are 6500 K (fixed) and 6638 K, so the star we call the primary is the more massive but cooler and larger component. A comparison with evolutionary tracks indicates that the components are metal rich with [Fe/H] = 0.3, and the system has an age of 1.2 Gyr. The primary is near the end of its main-sequence lifetime and is rotating significantly faster than its pseudosynchronous velocity. The secondary is still well ensconced on the main sequence and is rotating more slowly than its pseudosynchronous rate.

A total of almost 2000 V observations of 20 eclipsing and ellipsoidal bright binary stars was collected between 1991 and 2001 for the purpose of determining more recent epoch ephemerides for the light curves than are available in the literature. The original purpose was to provide the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI) with orbital periods and particularly the accurate times of minimum separation (light curve minima), so that the SUSI observations need not be used to determine them. This paper provides the periods, the times of primary minima and the phases of secondary minima for the 20 stars at an epoch as near as possible to the year 2000. No attempt has been made in this report to determine other parameters such as {apsidal motion} or stellar radii. Since the program was started in 1991, data for these stars taken in the period from late 1989 to early 1993 has also been available from the Hipparcos satellite; the light curves shown here include both sets of observations.

ERRATUM: In the published paper the phase diagrams of pi Sco and AL Scl were ommitted. The version reproduced in JAD11, 7 is the complete version. A total of almost 2000 V observations of 20 eclipsing and ellipsoidal bright binary stars was collected between 1991 and 2001 for the purpose of determining more recent epoch ephemerides for the light curves than are available in the literature. The original purpose was to provide the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI) with orbital periods and particularly the accurate times of minimum separation (light curve minima), so that the SUSI observations need not be used to determine them. This paper provides the periods, the times of primary minima and the phases of secondary minima for the 20 stars at an epoch as near as possible to the year 2000. No attempt has been made in this report to determine other parameters such as {apsidal motion} or stellar radii. Since the program was started in 1991, data for these stars taken in the period from late 1989 to early 1993 has also been available from the Hipparcos satellite; the light curves shown here include both sets of observations.

This report covers the FUSE Guest Observer program. This project involves the study of emission line profiles for the partially eclipsing, rapidly rotating binary system VW Cep. Active regions on the surface of the star(s) produce observable line shifts as the stars move with respect to the observer. By studying the time-dependence of the line profile changes and centroid shifts, one can determine the location of the activity. FUSE spectra were obtained by the P.I. 27 Sept 2002 and data reduction is in progress. Since we are interested in line profile analysis, we are now investigating the wavelength scale calibration in some detail. We have also obtained and are analyzing Chandra data in order to compare the X-ray velocities with the FUV velocities. A complementary project comparing X-ray and Far UltraViolet (FUV) emission for the similar system 44i Boo is also underway. Postdoctoral fellow Ronnie Hoogerwerf has joined the investigation team and will perform the data analysis, once the calibration is optimized.

V501 Her is a well detached G3 eclipsingbinary star with a period of 8.597687 days for which we have determined very accurate light and radial-velocity curves using robotic telescopes. Results of these data indicate that the component stars have masses of 1.269 ± 0.004 and 1.211 ± 0.003 solar masses, radii of 2.001 ± 0.003 and 1.511 ± 0.003 solar radii, and temperatures of 5683 ± 100 K and 5720 ± 100 K, respectively. Comparison with the Yonsei-Yale series of evolutionary models results in good agreement at an age of about 5.1 Gyr for a somewhat metal-rich composition. Those models indicate that the more massive, larger, slightly cooler star is just beyond core hydrogen exhaustion while the less massive, smaller, slightly hotter star has not quite reached core hydrogen exhaustion. The orbit is not yet circularized, and the components are rotating at or near their pseudosynchronous velocities. The distance to the system is 420 ± 30 pc.

We have determined the distance to a second eclipsingbinary system (EB) in the Large Magellanic Cloud, HV982 (B1 IV-V + B1 IV-V). The measurement of the distance - among other properties of the system - is based on optical photometry and spectroscopy and space-based UV/optical spectrophotometry. The analysis combines the "classical" EB study of light and radial velocity curves, which yield the stellar masses and radii, with a new analysis of the observed energy distribution, which yields the effective temperature, metallicity, and reddening of the system, plus the distance ``attenuation factor,'' essentially (radius/distance)2. This distance determination is extremely robust. It consists of a detailed study of well-understood objects (B stars) in a well-understood evolutionary phase (core H burning), whose results are entirely consistent with stellar evolution calculations. There are no ``tuneable'' parameters. There are no ``zeropoint'' uncertainties. The analysis is insensitive to stellar metallicity, although the metallicity is explicitly determined and incorporated. The reddening of the system is also determined explicitly and incorporated in the analysis. Moreover, the results depend on no statistical averages and are susceptible to no sampling biases. In this poster we describe the analysis technique and present the new results for HV982. The results are consistent - to within the measurement errors - with those published earlier by us for the EB system HV2274 and offer a very strong argument in favor of the "short" LMC distance scale, corresponding to V0 - MV = 18.3.

AP And is a well-detached F5 eclipsingbinary star for which only a very limited amount of information was available before this publication. We have obtained very extensive measurements of the light curve (19,097 differential V magnitude observations) and a radial velocity curve (83 spectroscopic observations) which allow us to fit orbits and determine the absolute properties of the components very accurately: masses of 1.277 ± 0.004 and 1.251 ± 0.004 M {sub ☉}, radii of 1.233 ± 0.006 and 1.1953 ± 0.005 R {sub ☉}, and temperatures of 6565 ± 150 K and 6495 ± 150 K. The distance to the system is about 400 ± 30 pc. Comparison with the theoretical properties of the stellar evolutionary models of the Yonsei-Yale series of Yi et al. shows good agreement between the observations and the theory at an age of about 500 Myr and a slightly sub-solar metallicity.

Stellar models of low-mass stars (M < 0.8 M_Sun) have been found to be in disagreement with observed properties, the observed radii being larger and the observed temperatures being lower. To characterize this discrepancy and search for possible confounding parameters, we are observing a sample of low-mass eclipsingbinaries using the McDonald 2.7-m telescope and archival Keck data for spectroscopic observations as well as the 0.8-m telescope at McDonald. This study will greatly increase the number of well-characterized low-mass stars, allowing for a better understanding of how fundamental stellar parameters (T_eff, R_*, M_*, abundances, activity, luminosity, etc.) depend on one another. We are using IGRINS, a high resolution (R=40,000) IR (H+K) spectrograph on the McDonald 2.7-m, to measure T_eff and abundances of the sample to a higher precision than previously capable. Relationships between the stellar parameters could reveal the influence of extra parameters on the mass-radius relation, indicating the additional physics that must be added to stellar evolutionary models to bring them into agreement with observations.

High-resolution spectroscopic measurements of radial velocity are employed to characterize the eclipsingbinary HD 185510 in terms of masses and evolutionary status. The IUE is used to obtain the radial velocities which indicate a large mass ratio Mp/Ms of 7.45 +/- 0.15, and Teff is given at 25,000 +/- 1000 K based on Ly alpha and UV spectrophotometry. Photometric observations are used to give an orbital inclination of between 90 and 70 deg inclusive, leading to masses of 0.31-0.37 and 2.3-2.8 solar mass for the hot star and the K star, respectively. The surface gravity of HD 185510B is shown to be higher than those values for sdB stars suggesting that the object is a low-mass white dwarf that has not reached its fully degenerate configuration. The object is theorized to be a low-mass helium main-sequence star or a nascent helium degenerate in a post-Algol system.

We have discovered a detached pair of white dwarfs (WDs) with a 12.75 minute orbital period and a 1315 km s{sup -1} radial velocity amplitude. We measure the full orbital parameters of the system using its light curve, which shows ellipsoidal variations, Doppler boosting, and primary and secondary eclipses. The primary is a 0.25 M{sub sun} tidally distorted helium WD, only the second tidally distorted WD known. The unseen secondary is a 0.55 M{sub sun} carbon-oxygen WD. The two WDs will come into contact in 0.9 Myr due to loss of energy and angular momentum via gravitational wave radiation. Upon contact the systems may merge (yielding a rapidly spinning massive WD), form a stable interacting binary, or possibly explode as an underluminous Type Ia supernova. The system currently has a gravitational wave strain of 10{sup -22}, about 10,000 times larger than the Hulse-Taylor pulsar; this system would be detected by the proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna gravitational wave mission in the first week of operation. This system's rapid change in orbital period will provide a fundamental test of general relativity.

BF Dra is now known to be an eccentric double-lined F6+F6 binary star with relatively deep (0.7 mag) partial eclipses. Previous studies of the system are improved with 7494 differential photometric observations from the URSA WebScope and 9700 from the NFO WebScope, 106 high-resolution spectroscopic observations from the Tennessee State University 2 m automatic spectroscopic telescope and the 1 m coude-feed spectrometer at Kitt Peak National Observatory, and 31 accurate radial velocities from the CfA. Very accurate (better than 0.6%) masses and radii are determined from analysis of the two new light curves and four radial velocity curves. Theoretical models match the absolute properties of the stars at an age of about 2.72 Gyr and [Fe/H] = -0.17, and tidal theory correctly confirms that the orbit should still be eccentric. Our observations of BF Dra constrain the convective core overshooting parameter to be larger than about 0.13 H{sub p}. We find, however, that standard tidal theory is unable to match the observed slow rotation rates of the components' surface layers.

The characteristic shape of an eclipsingbinary light curve consists of two out-of-eclipse maxima and two mid-eclipse minima. Many eclipsingbinary light curves exhibit unequally high maxima, a feature known as the O'Connell effect. So far, this asymmetry has not been convincingly explained aside from a few individual systems. Most theories attribute the O'Connell effect to phenomena such as starspots, clouds of circumstellar gas and dust, or a hot spot caused by the impact of a mass-transferring gas stream. The high precision and nearly continuous temporal coverage of light curves produced by the Kepler Space Mission make it possible to detect variations in the O'Connell effect within individual systems that have not previously been observed via ground-based observations. Our analysis of Kepler light curves of eclipsingbinary systems reveals that in most cases the size and even the sign of the O'Connell effect changes significantly over time scales of weeks or months. Moreover, the magnitude difference between the eclipse minima also varies, usually lagging behind the variations in the difference between the out-of-eclipse maxima by several orbital cycles. We have created models of eclipsingbinary systems using Binary Maker 3 that include starspots that migrate slowly in longitude, and have analyze the light curves generated by these model systems. Models with constant starspots at fixed latitude and models with starspots that vary in size and latitude both reproduce the qualitative behavior of the time-dependent O'Connell effect in the Kepler light curves very closely. These results provide support for the notion that the O'Connell effect, at least in some cases, is caused by migrating starspots on the surface of one or both components of the binary star system.

Eclipsingbinaries are extremely attractive objects because absolute physical parameters (masses, luminosities, radii) of both components may be determined from observations. Since most efforts to extract these parameters were based on dedicated observing programmes, existing modelling code is based on interactivity. Gaia will make a revolutionary advance in shear number of observed eclipsingbinaries and new methods for automatic handling must be introduced and thoroughly tested. This paper focuses on Nelder & Mead's downhill simplex method applied to a synthetically created test binary as it will be observed by Gaia.

We present a large sample of eclipsingbinary stars detected in the Small Magellanic Cloud fields covering about 14 square degrees that have been monitored for eight years during the third phase of the OGLE survey. This is the largest set of such variables containing 6138 objects, of which 777 are contact and 5361 non-contact binaries. The estimated completeness of this sample is around 82%. We analyze the statistical properties of the sample and present selected interesting objects: 32 systems having eccentric orbit with visible apsidal motion, one Transient EclipsingBinary, ten RS CVn type stars, 22 still unexplained Double-Periodic Variable stars, and 15 candidates for doubly eclipsing quadruple systems. Based on the OGLE-III proper motions, we classified 47 binaries from our sample as foreground Galactic stars. We also list candidates suitable for the SMC distance determination.

We present a spectroscopic study of the eclipsingbinary system AS Camelopardalis, the first such study based on phase-resolved CCD echelle spectra. Via a spectral disentangling analysis we measure the minimum masses of the stars to be M{sub A}sin {sup 3} i = 3.213 {+-} 0.032 M{sub sun} and M{sub B}sin {sup 3} i = 2.323 {+-} 0.032 M{sub sun}, their effective temperatures to be T{sub eff}(A) = 12, 840 {+-} 120 K and T{sub eff}(B) = 10, 580 {+-} 240 K, and their projected rotational velocities to be v{sub A}sin i{sub A} = 14.5 {+-} 0.1 km s{sup -1} and v{sub B}sin i{sub B} {<=} 4.6 {+-} 0.1 km s{sup -1}. These projected rotational velocities appear to be much lower than the synchronous values. We show that measurements of the apsidal motion of the system suffer from a degeneracy between orbital eccentricity and apsidal motion rate. We use our spectroscopically measured e = 0.164 {+-} 0.004 to break this degeneracy and measure {omega}-dot{sub obs} = 0{sup 0}.133{+-}0{sup 0}.010 yr{sup -1}. Subtracting the relativistic contribution of {omega}-dot{sub GR} = 0{sup 0}.0963{+-}0{sup 0}0002 yr{sup -1} yields the contribution due to tidal torques: {omega}-dot{sub cl} = 0{sup 0}.037{+-}0{sup 0}.010 yr{sup -1}. This value is much smaller than the rate predicted by stellar theory, 0.{sup 0}40-0.{sup 0}87 yr{sup -1}. We interpret this as a misalignment between the orbital axis of the close binary and the rotational axes of its component stars, which also explains their apparently low rotational velocities. The observed and predicted apsidal motion rates could be brought into agreement if the stars were rotating three times faster than synchronous about axes perpendicular to the orbital axis. Measurement of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect can be used to confirm this interpretation.

Large scale multi-epoch photometric surveys provide unique opportunities to study populations of binary stars through the study of eclipsingbinaries, provided the basic properties of binary systems can be derived from their light curves without the need to fully model the binary system. Those systems can then be classified into various types from, for example, close to wide systems, from circular to highly elliptical systems, or from systems with similar components to highly asymmetric systems. The challenge is to extract physically relevant information from the light curve geometry.In this contribution, we present the study of eclipsingbinaries in the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC) from the OGLE-III survey. The study is based on the analysis of the geometry of their light curves parameterized using a two-Gaussian model. We show what physical parameters could be extracted from such an analysis, and the results for the LMC eclipsingbinaries. The method is very well adapted to process large-scale surveys containing millions of eclipsingbinaries, such as is expected from the current Gaia mission or the future LSST survey.

The Kepler mission observed over 2200 eclipsingbinary stars in its 105-square degree field of view. Their importance in modern astrophysics cannot be overstated -- it ranges from deriving the fundamental stellar parameters across the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram and calibrating the mass-radius-temperature relationships, to determining the distances in the Galaxy and beyond. Kepler observations provide a unique sample with a nearly continuous coverage and sub-millimag precision, allowing us to model binary star light curves to unprecedented accuracy. In the context of planet hunting, the period and amplitude statistics derived from this sample are used to estimate the occurence rate of false positives: stellar sources that mimic planet transits due to third light contamination. I will present the results of the studies performed by the Kepler EclipsingBinary Working Group: 1) determining the physical parameters of binary star components, 2) studying the eclipse timing variations that attest to the presence of third bodies or arise due to component interaction, 3) performing statistical analysis of the whole sample, 4) estimating the occurence rate of background eclipsingbinaries, and 5) searching for tertiary events due to other eclipsing objects. This work is supported by the NASA/SETI grant 08-SC-1041 and NSF RUI #AST-05-07542.

We have deduced a theoretical relation between the pulsation and orbital-periods of pulsating stars in close binaries based on their Roche lobe filling. It appears to be of a simple linear form, with the slope as a function of the pulsation constant, the mass ratio, and the filling factor for an individual system. Testing the data of 69 known eclipsingbinaries containing δ-Sct-type components yields an empirical slope of 0.020 ± 0.006 for the P{sub pul}-P{sub orb} relation. We have further derived the upper limit of the P{sub pul}/P{sub orb} ratio for the δ-Sct stars in eclipsingbinaries with a value of 0.09 ± 0.02. This value could serve as a criterion to distinguish whether or not a pulsator in an eclipsingbinary pulsates in the p-mode. Applying the deduced P{sub pul}-P{sub orb} relation, we have computed the dominant pulsation constants for 37 δ-Sct stars in eclipsing systems with definite photometric solutions. These ranged between 0.008 and 0.033 days with a mean value of about 0.014 days, indicating that δ-Sct stars in eclipsingbinaries mostly pulsate in the fourth or fifth overtones.

Differential astrometry measurements from the Palomar High-precision Astrometric Search for Exoplanet Systems have been combined with lower precision single-aperture measurements covering a much longer timespan (from eyepiece measurements, speckle interferometry, and adaptive optics) to determine improved visual orbits for 20 binary stars. In some cases, radial velocity observations exist to constrain the full three-dimensional orbit and determine component masses. The visual orbit of one of these binaries-{alpha} Com (HD 114378)-shows that the system is likely to have eclipses, despite its very long period of 26 years. The next eclipse is predicted to be within a week of 2015 January 24.

The first catalogue of variable sources observed by OMC (OMC--VAR hereafter) contains light curves for 5263 variable stars, out of which we have been able to detect periodicities for 1137 objects. A large variety of objects can be found in the catalogue, but the most frequent ones in the present compilation are pulsating stars and eclipsingbinaries. We have performed an analysis to find eclipsing systems showing evidences of pulsations in one of their components some preliminary results are shown.

V907 Scorpii, near the open cluster M7, and possibly a member, is unique among all known eclipsingbinary stars because its eclipses have turned on and off twice within modern history. By using all available photometric and spectroscopic data, we have discovered that it is at least a triple star and possibly a quadruple star system consisting of a visual binary with a very long orbital period, the brighter member of which is itself the triple star. The triple star contains an eclipsingbinary star (B9.5 V) with an orbital period of 3.78 days and a faint, distant companion (late K, or perhaps a white dwarf) with an orbital period of 99.3 days around the center of mass of the triple star system. Radial velocity measurements allow the masses to be estimated. Because the orbital planes of the eclipsingbinary and its triple companion are not coplanar, the orbital plane of the eclipsingbinary shows nodal regression with a period of 68 yr. For about one-third of this time, the close binary is eclipsing; the rest of the time the inclination is too small for eclipses to occur. The earliest observations of the system in the year 1899 show eclipses; the eclipses stopped about 1918, started again about 1963, and stopped again in about 1986. We predict that the eclipses should start occurring once again in the year 2030+/-5.

We propose to use XMM to observe eclipsing probable quiescent low-mass X-ray binaries selected from the Galactic Bulge Survey. The XMM data are crucial to determine the eclipsing duration, one cannot do this as accurately from optical light curves as from X-ray light curves as the X-ray emission region is small compared to the mass donor star. Using the XMM eclipse duration and the VLT spectroscopy we can determine virtually model independent masses of the compact objects. Furthermore, we may select different mass ratio systems favoring low-mass black holes.

The eclipses in binary stars give precise information of orbital period changes. Goodricke discovered the 2.867 day period in the eclipses of Algol in the year 1783. The irregular orbital period changes of this longest known eclipsingbinary continue to puzzle astronomers. The mass transfer between the two members of this binary should cause a long-term increase of the orbital period, but observations over two centuries have not confirmed this effect. Here, we present evidence indicating that the period of Algol was 2.850 days three millennia ago. For religious reasons, the ancient Egyptians have recorded this period into the Cairo Calendar (CC), which describes the repetitive changes of the Raging one. CC may be the oldest preserved historical document of the discovery of a variable star.

The eclipses in binary stars give precise information of orbital period changes. Goodricke discovered the 2.867 day period in the eclipses of Algol in the year 1783. The irregular orbital period changes of this longest known eclipsingbinary continue to puzzle astronomers. The mass transfer between the two members of this binary should cause a long-term increase of the orbital period, but observations over two centuries have not confirmed this effect. Here, we present evidence indicating that the period of Algol was 2.850 days three millennia ago. For religious reasons, the ancient Egyptians have recorded this period into the Cairo Calendar (CC), which describes the repetitive changes of the Raging one. CC may be the oldest preserved historical document of the discovery of a variable star.

Observations of a small sample of eclipsingbinary systems composed exclusively of low mass stars (< 0.8 Msun, spectral type K and M) indicate that theoretical models of stellar structure and evolution (e.g. Baraffe et al. 1998) systematically under-predict the observed radii by 10%. Tidal effects and rotation-induced magnetic fields in close binaries may be responsible for this disagreement, but the small observed sample of these objects presents difficulties in testing this hypothesis. Large scale time-domain surveys are an effective method for discovery and characterization of these intrinsically faint eclipsingbinaries. Here, we present results of a search for periodic variables in multi-band sparsely sampled timeseries data from SDSS Stripe 82, including the discovery of 200 eclipsingbinary candidates. These include 51 K and 79 M-dwarf eclipsingbinaries as classified by their SDSS colors. We discuss the general properties of this sample, including the period, spectral type, and binary type distributions. For 30 of these objects that have sufficient phase coverage and secure orbital period determinations, we model the SDSS riz-band light-curves using the Wilson-Devinney code (Wilson & Devinney 1971), and determine relative radii, temperatures, luminosities, and orbital inclinations. Finally, we identify 5 M-dwarf eclipsingbinaries in this sample with median SDSS r < 18.0 mag that are particularly suitable for photometric and spectroscopic followup observations. These observations will result in precise measurements of the binary components' masses and radii, placing better constraints on the observed mass-radius relation of the lower main-sequence, and the extent of its disagreement with predictions from theoretical models. Based on data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (http://www.sdss.org). This research was supported in part by NASA grant NAG5-7697.

The eclipsingbinary system 31 Cygni (K4 Ib + B3 V) was observed at several phases with the Far Ultraviolet Spectrosocopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. During total eclipse, a rich emission spectrum was observed, produced by scattering of hot star photons in the extended wind of the K supergiant. The system was observed during deep chromospheric eclipse, and 2.5 months after total eclipse ended. We present an atlas of line identifications in these spectra. During total eclipse, emission features from C II , C III, N I, N II, N III, O I, Si II, P II, P III, S II, S III, Ar I, Cr III, Fe II, Fe III, and Ni II were detected. The strongest emission features arise from N II. These lines appear strongly in absorption during chromospheric eclipse, and even 2.5 months after total eclipse, the absorption bottoms out on the underlying emission seen during total eclipse. The second strongest features in the emission spectrum arise from Fe III. Any chromospheric Fe III absorption is buried within strong chromospheric absorption from other species, mainly Fe II. The emission profiles of most of the doubly-ionized species are red-shifted relative to the systemic velocity, with asymmetric profiles with a steeper long-wavelength edge. Emission profiles from singly-ionized species tend to be more symmetric and centered near the systemic velocity. In deep chromospheric eclipse, absorption features are seen from neutral and singly-ionized species, arising from lower levels up to 3 eV. Many strong chromospheric features are doubled in the observation obtained during egress from eclipse. The 31 Cygni spectrum taken 2.5 months after total eclipse ended ws compared to single-star B spectra from the FUSE archives. There was still some additional chromospheric absorption from strong low-excitation Fe II, O I and Ar I.

We identify 231 objects in the newly released Cycle 0 data set from the Kepler Mission as double-eclipse, detached eclipsingbinary systems with T eff < 5500 K and orbital periods shorter than ~32 days. We model each light curve using the JKTEBOP code with a genetic algorithm to obtain precise values for each system. We identify 95 new systems with both components below 1.0 M sun and eclipses of at least 0.1 mag, suitable for ground-based follow-up. Of these, 14 have periods less than 1.0 day, 52 have periods between 1.0 and 10.0 days, and 29 have periods greater than 10.0 days. This new sample of main-sequence, low-mass, double-eclipse, detached eclipsingbinary candidates more than doubles the number of previously known systems and extends the sample into the completely heretofore unexplored P > 10.0 day period regime. We find preliminary evidence from these systems that the radii of low-mass stars in binary systems decrease with period. This supports the theory that binary spin-up is the primary cause of inflated radii in low-mass binary systems, although a full analysis of each system with radial-velocity and multi-color light curves is needed to fully explore this hypothesis. Also, we present seven new transiting planet candidates that do not appear among the list of 706 candidates recently released by the Kepler team, or in the Kepler False Positive Catalog, along with several other new and interesting systems. We also present novel techniques for the identification, period analysis, and modeling of eclipsingbinaries.

We identify 231 objects in the newly released Cycle 0 data set from the Kepler Mission as double-eclipse, detached eclipsingbinary systems with T{sub eff} < 5500 K and orbital periods shorter than {approx}32 days. We model each light curve using the JKTEBOP code with a genetic algorithm to obtain precise values for each system. We identify 95 new systems with both components below 1.0 M{sub sun} and eclipses of at least 0.1 mag, suitable for ground-based follow-up. Of these, 14 have periods less than 1.0 day, 52 have periods between 1.0 and 10.0 days, and 29 have periods greater than 10.0 days. This new sample of main-sequence, low-mass, double-eclipse, detached eclipsingbinary candidates more than doubles the number of previously known systems and extends the sample into the completely heretofore unexplored P > 10.0 day period regime. We find preliminary evidence from these systems that the radii of low-mass stars in binary systems decrease with period. This supports the theory that binary spin-up is the primary cause of inflated radii in low-mass binary systems, although a full analysis of each system with radial-velocity and multi-color light curves is needed to fully explore this hypothesis. Also, we present seven new transiting planet candidates that do not appear among the list of 706 candidates recently released by the Kepler team, or in the Kepler False Positive Catalog, along with several other new and interesting systems. We also present novel techniques for the identification, period analysis, and modeling of eclipsingbinaries.

The cosmic distance scale largely depends on distance determinations to galaxies of the Local Group. In this sense, the Andromeda galaxy (M 31) is a key rung to better constrain the cosmic distance ladder. A project was started in 1999 to firmly establish a direct and accurate distance to M 31 using eclipsingbinaries (EBs). After the determination of the first direct distance to M 31 from EBs, the second direct distance to an EB system is presented: M31V J00443610+4129194. Light and radial velocity curves were obtained and fitted to derive the masses and radii of the components. The acquired spectra were combined and disentangled to determine the temperature of the components. The analysis of the studied EB resulted in a distance determination to M 31 of (m-M)0 = 24.30 ± 0.11 mag. This result, when combined with the previous distance determination to M 31, results in a distance modulus of (m-M)0 = 24.36 ± 0.08 mag (744 ± 33 kpc), fully compatible with other distance determinations to M 31. With an error of only 4%, the obtained value firmly establishes the distance to this important galaxy and represents the fulfillment of the main goal of our project. Based on observations made with the Isaac Newton Telescope operated on the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina)Original data are only available in

We present the first precision BVRI light curves, synthetic light curve solutions and a period study for the Sonneberg variable, DK And. Observations were taken with the NURO 0.81-m Lowell reflector on 24, 25 and 27 September and 26 October and 01 November 2011 with the SARA 0.9-m reflector. Our light curves were premodeled with Binary Maker 3.0, and solved with the Wilson-Devinney program. Our observations included 374 B, 372 V, 392 R and 394 I individual and calibrated observations. These were taken with the NURO, Lowell 2KX2K NASACAM, and the SARA 1KX1K Apogee camera. Six mean times of minimum light were determined, includingHJDMin I= 2455866.8222(±0.0003), 2455828.6632(±0.0001), 2455829.6405(±0.0097), and HJDMin II=2455866.5782(±0.0007), 2455860.6970(±0.0053) and 2455828.9081(±0.0004). Thirty-one timings taken over 73 years are included in our ephemeris calculation: J.D. Hel Min I = 2451435.4330(±0.0011)d + 0.48922346(±0.00000015)×E + 2.4(±0.4)×10-11×E2 For conservative mass transfer, the positive quadratic term means that the more massive star is the gainer. Our light curves shows a time of constant light in the secondary eclipse of 28 minutes making this an A-type W UMa system. The amplitude of the light curves are about 0.5 mags in V. The light curve solution reveals a rather extreme mass ratio of 0.32, a component temperature difference of ~300K, and an inclination of 82.5°. The curves show the effects of dark spot activity. We thank USC, Lancaster for their support of our membership in NURO for the past 8 years, the American Astronomical Society for its support through its small research program and Arizona Space grant for the partial support for our student’s travel.

AM CVn stars are ultracompact binaries (P_{orb}< 65 min) where a hydrogen-deficient low-mass, degenerate donor star overfills its Roche lobe and transfers matter to a companion white dwarf via an accretion disc. SDSS J0926+36 is currently the only eclipsing AM CVn star and also the shortest period eclipsingbinary known. Its light curve displays deep (˜ 2 mag) eclipses every 28.3 min, which last for ˜ 2 min, as well as ˜ 2 mag amplitude outbursts every ˜ 100-200 d. Superhumps were seen in its quiescent light curve in some occasions, probably as a reminiscence of a (in some cases undetected) previous outburst. Its eclipsing nature allows a unique opportunity to disentangle the emission from several different light sources, and to map the surface brightness distribution of its hydrogen-deficient accretion disc with the aid of maximum entropy eclipse mapping techniques. Here we report the eclipse mapping analysis of optical light curves of SDSS J0926+36, collected with the 2.4 m Liverpool Robotic Telescope, covering 20 orbits of the binary over 5 nights of observations between 2012 February and March. The object was in quiescence at all runs. Our data show no evidence of superhumps nor of orbital modulation due to anisotropic emission from a bright spot at disc rim. Accordingly, the average out-of-eclipse flux level is consistent with that of the superhump-subtracted previous light curves. We combined all runs to obtain an orbital light curve of improved S/N. The corresponding eclipse map shows a compact source at disc centre (T_{b}simeq 17000 K), a faint, cool accretion disc (˜ 4000 K) plus enhanced emission along the gas stream (˜ 6000 K) beyond the impact point at the outer disc rim, suggesting the occurrence of gas stream overflow at that epoch.

In this paper, we estimate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) yield of eclipsingbinary stars, which will survey ~20,000 deg2 of the southern sky during a period of 10 years in six photometric passbands to r ~ 24.5. We generate a set of 10,000 eclipsingbinary light curves sampled to the LSST time cadence across the whole sky, with added noise as a function of apparent magnitude. This set is passed to the analysis-of-variance period finder to assess the recoverability rate for the periods, and the successfully phased light curves are passed to the artificial-intelligence-based pipeline ebai to assess the recoverability rate in terms of the eclipsingbinaries' physical and geometric parameters. We find that, out of ~24 million eclipsingbinaries observed by LSST with a signal-to-noise ratio >10 in mission lifetime, ~28% or 6.7 million can be fully characterized by the pipeline. Of those, ~25% or 1.7 million will be double-lined binaries, a true treasure trove for stellar astrophysics.

In this paper, we estimate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) yield of eclipsingbinary stars, which will survey {approx}20,000 deg{sup 2} of the southern sky during a period of 10 years in six photometric passbands to r {approx} 24.5. We generate a set of 10,000 eclipsingbinary light curves sampled to the LSST time cadence across the whole sky, with added noise as a function of apparent magnitude. This set is passed to the analysis-of-variance period finder to assess the recoverability rate for the periods, and the successfully phased light curves are passed to the artificial-intelligence-based pipeline ebai to assess the recoverability rate in terms of the eclipsingbinaries' physical and geometric parameters. We find that, out of {approx}24 million eclipsingbinaries observed by LSST with a signal-to-noise ratio >10 in mission lifetime, {approx}28% or 6.7 million can be fully characterized by the pipeline. Of those, {approx}25% or 1.7 million will be double-lined binaries, a true treasure trove for stellar astrophysics.

Recent ultra-high precision observations of eclipsingbinaries, especially data acquired by the Kepler satellite, have made accurate light curve modelling increasingly challenging but also more rewarding. In this contribution, we discuss low-amplitude signals in light curves that can now be used to derive physical information about eclipsingbinaries but that were unaccessible before the Kepler era. A notable example is the detection of Doppler beaming, which leads to an increase in flux when a star moves towards the satellite and a decrease in flux when it moves away. Similarly, Rømer delays, or light travel time effects, also have to taken into account when modelling the supreme quality data that is now available. The detection of offsets between primary and secondary eclipse phases in binaries with extreme mass ratios, and the observation of Rømer delays in the signals of pulsators in binary stars, have allowed us to determine the orbits of several binaries without the need for spectroscopy. A third example of a small-scale effect that has to be taken into account when modelling specific binary systems, are lensing effects. A new binary light curve modelling code, PHOEBE 2.0, that takes all these effect into account is currently being developed.

We present the results of a three-continent multisite photometric campaign carried out on the Algol-type eclipsingbinary system RZ Cas, in which the primary component has recently been discovered to be a δ Sct-type pulsator. The present observations include, for the first time, complete simultaneous Strömgren uvby light curves together with a few Crawford Hβ data collected around the orbital phase of the first quadrature. The new observations confirm the pulsational behaviour of the primary component. A detailed photometric analysis, based on these observations, is presented for both binarity and pulsation. The results indicate a semidetached system where the secondary fills its Roche lobe. The appearance of the light curves reveals the presence of the mass stream from the secondary component and a hotspot where this stream impacts on the surface of the primary star. There are also some indications of chromospheric activity in the secondary. On the other hand, the pulsational behaviour out-of-primary eclipse can be well described with only one frequency at 64.1935 cd-1 similar to the main peak found by Ohshima et al. The existence of multiperiodicity is not confirmed in our data. Concerning the mode identification, our results indicate non-radial pulsation in a high radial order (n= 6), with l= 2, |m|= 1, 2 as the most suitable. However, additional effects must be taken into account in the predictions. Moreover, the pulsation amplitude in the u band is larger than in b and v, which is unusual among the δ Sct-type variables. This can be explained as due to pulsation in a high n value and close to the blue edge of the δ Sct region. On the other hand, the early data of Ohshima et al. have also been analysed and similar results are found concerning the frequency content and pulsational amplitude. Finally, a revision of all the photometric out-of-primary-eclipse data sets available in the literature is made together with some additional unpublished data leading to

A number of blue stars that appear to be similar to Population I B stars in the star-forming regions of the Galactic disk are found more than 1 kpc from the Galactic plane. Uncertainties about the true distances and masses of these high-latitude B stars have fueled a debate as to their origin and evolutionary status. The eclipsingbinary IT Lib is composed of two B stars, is approximately 1 kpc above the Galactic plane, and is moving back toward the plane. Observations of the light and velocity curves presented here lead to the conclusion that the B stars in this system are massive young main-sequence stars. While there are several possible explanations, it appears most plausible that the IT Lib system formed in the disk about 30 million years ago and was ejected on a trajectory taking it to its present position. Based on observations made at the 2.1 m Otto Struve Telescope of McDonald Observatory operated by the University of Texas at Austin and also at the 2.1 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

We carried out light curve solutions of two detached eclipsingbinaries with circular orbits observed by Kepler: KIC 8088354 and KIC 3241619. We established that: (i) The eclipses of KIC 8088354 are partial while KIC 3241619 undergoes total eclipse; (ii) the components of both targets are of spectral types G-K; (iii) the radii of the components of the objects differ by 20-30 %; (iv) the relative luminosities of their secondaries are considerably smaller than those of the primaries. The global parameters of KIC 8088354 and KIC 3241619 (temperatures, luminosities, radii and masses of the components) were found to obey satisfactorily the empirical relations of MS stars. We analyzed the additional short-term and long-term variability of the targets superposed on the eclipses.

Context. Apparent period variations detected in several eclipsing, close-compact binaries are frequently interpreted as being caused by circumbinary giant planets. This interpretation raises the question of the origin of the potential planets that must have either formed in the primordial circumbinary disk, together with the host binary star, and survived its evolution into a close-compact binary or formed in a post-common-envelope circumbinary disk that remained bound to the post-common-envelope binary (PCEB). Aims: Here we combine current knowledge of planet formation and the statistics of giant planets around primordial and evolved binary stars with the theory of close-compact binary star evolution aiming to derive new constraints on possible formation scenarios. Methods: We compiled a comprehensive list of observed eclipsing PCEBs, estimated the fraction of systems showing apparent period variations, reconstructed the evolutionary history of the PCEBs, and performed binary population models of PCEBs to characterize their main sequence binary progenitors. We reviewed the currently available constraints on the fraction of PCEB progenitors that host circumbinary giant planets. Results: We find that the progenitors of PCEBs are very unlikely to be frequent hosts of giant planets (≲10 per cent), while the frequency of PCEBs with observed apparent period variations is very high (~90 per cent). Conclusions: The variations in eclipse timings measured in eclipsing PCEBs are probably not caused by first-generation planets that survived common-envelope evolution. The remaining options for explaining the observed period variations are second-generation planet formation or perhaps variations in the shape of a magnetically active secondary star. We suggest observational tests for both options. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A data mining algorithm was utilized to analyze Johnson V-band charge-coupled device (CCD) photometric data of an object that were taken during a wide field survey of a region in the constellation Cygnus. That algorithm was the Date Compensated Discrete Fourier Transform (DC DFT) which is part of the AAVSO VSTAR applications software. This analysis clearly indicated that the object under study is a detached eclipsingbinary, specifically an EA β Persei-type (Algol) eclipsing system, with an orbital period of 2.0664 days. Neither the type nor period of this eclipsingbinary had been characterized up to this point. This object has been given the AAVSO designation TrES-Cyg3-04450 and the AUID 000-BLL-484.

Photometry in the Geneva systems and radial velocities are used to determine the fundamental parameters of three eclipsingbinaries, two of which having been classified as chemically peculiar and the third having relatively narrow lines. For a description of the Geneva photometric system, see e.g. (3 data files).

This text is focused on some information and results of the analysis of the selected eccentric eclipsingbinaries with relatively short periods of apsidal motion - V785 Cas, V821 Cas, V796 Cyg, V398 Lac, and V871 Per. Further and more detailed information can be found in the paper in A&A (M. Wolf et al. 2013).

We present results of our spectroscopic observations of nine detached eclipsingbinaries (DEBs), selected from the Kepler EclipsingBinary Catalog, that only show one set of spectral lines. Radial velocities (RVs) were calculated from the high-resolution spectra obtained with the HIgh-Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph (HIDES) instrument, attached to the 1.88-m telescope at the Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, and from the public Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment archive. In our sample, we found five single-lined binaries, with one component dominating the spectrum. The orbital and light-curve solutions were found for four of them, and compared with isochrones, in order to estimate absolute physical parameters and evolutionary status of the components. For the fifth case, we only update the orbital parameters, and estimate the properties of the unseen star. Two other systems show orbital motion with a period known from the eclipse timing variations (ETVs). For these we obtained parameters of outer orbits, by translating the ETVs to RVs of the centre of mass of the eclipsingbinary, and combining with the RVs of the outer star. Of the two remaining ones, one is most likely a blend of a faint background DEB with a bright foreground star, which lines we see in the spectra, and the last case is possibly a quadruple bearing a sub-stellar mass object. Where possible, we compare our results with literature, especially with results from asteroseismology. We also report possible detections of solar-like oscillations in our RVs.

Kozai cycles and tidal friction of a binary with a tertiary companion is one of the leading theories for the formation of close binary systems by tightening the orbit of the inner binary. According to simulations, such systems should evolve into tight inner binaries with eccentric tertiary companions on wide orbits, and importantly, predict the tertiary to have an orbital inclination misaligned relative to the plane of the inner binary, with an angle of misalignment that peaks strongly around 40 degrees. KIC 2835289 is a triple system comprising a ˜0.9-day inner binary and a tertiary on a ˜750-day orbit. The tertiary was identified through our eclipse timing variations and our finding of a tertiary eclipse event in the Kepler data. Here we show, using photodynamical modeling of the system, that the tertiary in this system is on an eccentric orbit inclined with respect to the inner binary, in agreement with theoretical prediction. KIC 2835289 is thus the first known triple system that directly attests to the key predictions of Kozai cycles and tidal friction as a mechanism to tighten binary star systems.

The Light-Time Effect (LTE) occurs whenever the distance between the observer and any kind of periodic signal occurring in space changes. The usual cause of this is the reflex motion about the system's barycenter due to the gravitational influence of one or more additional bodies. With a sufficient precision of the times of eclipses, the eclipse timing can be used to detect substellar or even planetary mass companions. The main goal of the poster is to investigate the potential of the photometry based eclipse timing of binary stars as a method of detecting circumbinary planets. In the models we assume that the companion orbits a binary star in a circular Keplerian orbit. We analyze throug the numerical simulations both the space and ground based photometry cases. In particular, we study the usefulness of the on-going COROT and Kepler missions in detecting circumbinary planets. We determine the sensitivity of the eclipse timing technique to circumbinary planets for the ground and space based photometric observations. We provide suggestions for the best targets, observing strategies and instruments for the eclipse timing method. Finally, we present some preliminary results comparing simulations and real observations.

The coincidental location of BX Peg and KW Peg in the same field-of-view captured by the primary imaging system at UnderOak Observatory (UO) provided an opportunity to study both variable stars from the same exposures. Herein new findings for the eclipsingbinary KW Peg will be presented while those from BX Peg will be discussed in a separate paper (Part 2). KW Peg, described as an "Algol type" eclipsing variable (P = 0.816402 d), is only reported in a single work published over twenty years ago. Photometric data collected in three bandpasses (B, V, and Ic), produced eight new times of minimum for KW Peg. These were used to update the linear ephemeris and further analyze potential changes in orbital periodicity by examining the available history of eclipse timings. In addition, synthetic fitting of light curves by Roche modeling was accomplished with programs employing the Wilson-Devinney code. Results from the present study provide a reasonable case for classifying KW Peg as a short-period RS CVn eclipsingbinary rather than Algol-like. The primary star in KW Peg would appear to be a late stage G9V-K0V dwarf whereas the secondary is a slightly cooler K0-K1 companion. The eclipse-timing diagram for KW Peg is quite simple and indicates that, on average, the orbital period for this system has remained fairly constant over the past two decades.

We analyze extensive BVR{sub C}I{sub C} photometry and radial velocity measurements for three double-lined deeply eclipsingbinary stars in the field of the old open cluster NGC 7142. The short period (P = 1.9096825 days) detached binary V375 Cep is a high probability cluster member, and has a total eclipse of the secondary star. The characteristics of the primary star (M = 1.288 {+-} 0.017 M{sub Sun }) at the cluster turnoff indicate an age of 3.6 Gyr (with a random uncertainty of 0.25 Gyr), consistent with earlier analysis of the color-magnitude diagram. The secondary star (M = 0.871 {+-} 0.008 M{sub Sun }) is not expected to have evolved significantly, but its radius is more than 10% larger than predicted by models. Because this binary system has a known age, it is useful for testing the idea that radius inflation can occur in short period binaries for stars with significant convective envelopes due to the inhibition of energy transport by magnetic fields. The brighter star in the binary also produces a precision estimate of the distance modulus, independent of reddening estimates: (m - M){sub V} = 12.86 {+-} 0.07. The other two eclipsingbinary systems are not cluster members, although one of the systems (V2) could only be conclusively ruled out as a present or former member once the stellar characteristics were determined. That binary is within 0. Degree-Sign 5 of edge-on, is in a fairly long-period eccentric binary, and contains two almost indistinguishable stars. The other binary (V1) has a small but nonzero eccentricity (e = 0.038) in spite of having an orbital period under 5 days.

We analyze extensive BVRCIC photometry and radial velocity measurements for three double-lined deeply eclipsingbinary stars in the field of the old open cluster NGC 7142. The short period (P = 1.9096825 days) detached binary V375 Cep is a high probability cluster member, and has a total eclipse of the secondary star. The characteristics of the primary star (M = 1.288 ± 0.017 M ⊙) at the cluster turnoff indicate an age of 3.6 Gyr (with a random uncertainty of 0.25 Gyr), consistent with earlier analysis of the color-magnitude diagram. The secondary star (M = 0.871 ± 0.008 M ⊙) is not expected to have evolved significantly, but its radius is more than 10% larger than predicted by models. Because this binary system has a known age, it is useful for testing the idea that radius inflation can occur in short period binaries for stars with significant convective envelopes due to the inhibition of energy transport by magnetic fields. The brighter star in the binary also produces a precision estimate of the distance modulus, independent of reddening estimates: (m - M) V = 12.86 ± 0.07. The other two eclipsingbinary systems are not cluster members, although one of the systems (V2) could only be conclusively ruled out as a present or former member once the stellar characteristics were determined. That binary is within 0.°5 of edge-on, is in a fairly long-period eccentric binary, and contains two almost indistinguishable stars. The other binary (V1) has a small but nonzero eccentricity (e = 0.038) in spite of having an orbital period under 5 days.

PHOEBE (PHysics Of EclipsingBinariEs) is a modeling package for eclipsingbinary stars, built on top of the widely used WD program of Wilson & Devinney. This introductory paper gives an overview of the most important scientific extensions (incorporating observational spectra of eclipsingbinaries into the solution-seeking process, extracting individual temperatures from observed color indices, main-sequence constraining, and proper treatment of the reddening), numerical innovations (suggested improvements to WD's differential corrections method, the new Nelder & Mead downhill simplex method), and technical aspects (back-end scripter structure, graphical user interface). While PHOEBE retains 100% WD compatibility, its add-ons are a powerful way to enhance WD by encompassing even more physics and solution reliability. The operability of all these extensions is demonstrated on a synthetic main-sequence test binary; applications to real data will be published in follow-up papers. PHOEBE is released under the GNU General Public License, which guarantees it to be free and open to anyone interested in joining in on future development.

The O'Connell effect in eclipsingbinary systems (unequally high maxima) has stood for many decades as one of the most perplexing challenges in binary studies. So far, this simple asymmetry has not been convincingly explained, but most theories attribute the effect to dynamic phenomena such as migrating star-spots or swirling circumstellar gas and dust. Nevertheless there has been no clear demonstration of a correlation between the assumptions of any one theory and the morphology of physical parameters of binary systems that exhibit O'Connell effect. We have developed an automated program that characterizes the morphology of light curves by depth of both minima, height of both maxima and curvature outside the eclipses. In terms of programming it is being developed in FORTRAN and PYTHON. This project results from realization of two needs, both related to recent discoveries of large number of contact binaries. Thus the first need is of a simple method to obtain essential parameters for these systems, without the necessity of full light-curve synthesis solution. The second is a statistical one: we would like to extract information from light curves with the use of coefficients that describe the asymmetry in the light curve maxima and the overall shape in the growing observational data of eclipsingbinaries (OGLE, ASAS, KEPLER, GAIA). Before applying the automated program several complications must be addressed, as eccentricity, quality of data with many outlying points, limitations to the classification method already applied.

We present a new sample of 4634 eclipsingbinary stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), expanding on a previous sample of 611 objects and a new sample of 1509 eclipsingbinary stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), that were identified in the light curve database of the MACHO project. We perform a cross correlation with the OGLE-II LMC sample, finding 1236 matches. A cross correlation with the OGLE-II SMC sample finds 698 matches. We then compare the LMC subsamples corresponding to center and the periphery of the LMC and find only minor differences between the two populations. These samples are sufficiently large and complete that statistical studies of the binary star populations are possible.

Unlike the main Kepler mission that focused on a predetermined set of targets within the fixed field of view, the targets for each K2 campaign are solicited from the community, with ~10000 long-cadence (29.43 minute) and ~100 short-cadence (54.2s) targets selected for observations from each field (Howell et al., 2014PASP..126..398H). The Kepler EclipsingBinary Working Group contributes a selection of science targets based on a cross-check of all objects in each K2 campaign field with available variable and binary star catalogs. One hundred and sixty four of 7757 targets selected for observation in campaign 0 and 49 of 21647 targets in campaign 1 were preidentified as eclipsingbinaries (EBs). (4 data files).

The star HII 2407 is a member of the relatively young Pleiades star cluster and was previously discovered to be a single-lined spectroscopic binary. It is newly identified here within Kepler/K2 photometric time series data as an eclipsingbinary system. Mutual fitting of the radial velocity and photometric data leads to an orbital solution and constraints on fundamental stellar parameters. While the primary has arrived on the main sequence, the secondary is still pre-main sequence and we compare our results for the M/M⊙ and R/R⊙ values with stellar evolutionary models. We also demonstrate that the system is likely to be tidally synchronized. Follow-up infrared spectroscopy is likely to reveal the lines of the secondary, allowing for dynamically measured masses and elevating the system to benchmark eclipsingbinary status.

In this work we present results derived from analysis of the O-C behaviour of ten eclipsingbinary systems: AR Lac, CG Cyg, HP Aur, MM Her, RS CVn, RT And, SV Cam, V471 Tau, WW Dra and CF Tuc. It was proved on the basis of moments of minima compiled from the literature and new ones determined from recent observations, that these binaries show long term (19-91 years) modulations of their orbital periods, clearly visible in their O-C diagrams. Two possible explanations for this effect are considered: (1) the light-travel time effect due to the presence of a third body orbiting the eclipsing systems; (2) the Applegate mechanism predicting period modulation by changes in the distribution of angular momentum as a star goes through its activity cycles. It was found that in the case of four systems the existence of a third star, orbiting the binary, is a more plausible explanation of observations.

Kepler's ultra-high precision photometry is revolutionizing stellar astrophysics. We are seeing intrinsic phenomena on an unprecedented scale, and interpreting them is both a challenge and an exciting privilege. Eclipsingbinary stars are of particular significance for stellar astrophysics because precise modeling leads to fundamental parameters of the orbiting components: masses, radii, temperatures and luminosities to better than 1-2%. On top of that, eclipsingbinaries are ideal physical laboratories for studying other physical phenomena, such as asteroseismic properties, chromospheric activity, proximity effects, mass transfer in close binaries, etc. Because of the eclipses, the basic geometry is well constrained, but a follow-up spectroscopy is required to get the dynamical masses and the absolute scale of the system. A conjunction of Kepler photometry and ground- based spectroscopy is a treasure trove for eclipsingbinary star astrophysics. This proposal focuses on a carefully selected set of 100 short period eclipsingbinary stars. The fundamental goal of the project is to study the intrinsic astrophysical effects typical of short period binaries in great detail, utilizing Kepler photometry and follow-up spectroscopy to devise a robust and consistent set of modeling results. The complementing spectroscopy is being secured from 3 approved and fully funded programs: the NOAO 4-m echelle spectroscopy at Kitt Peak (30 nights; PI Prsa), the 10- m Hobby-Eberly Telescope high-resolution spectroscopy (PI Mahadevan), and the 2.5-m Sloan Digital Sky Survey III spectroscopy (PI Mahadevan). The targets are prioritized by the projected scientific yield. Short period detached binaries host low-mass (K- and M- type) components for which the mass-radius relationship is sparsely populated and still poorly understood, as the radii appear up to 20% larger than predicted by the population models. We demonstrate the spectroscopic detection viability in the secondary

We present a detailed study of KIC 2306740, an eccentric double-lined eclipsingbinary system with a pulsating component.Archive Kepler satellite data were combined with newly obtained spectroscopic data with 4.2\\,m William Herschel Telescope(WHT). This allowed us to determine rather precise orbital and physical parameters of this long period, slightly eccentric, pulsating binary system. Duplicity effects are extracted from the light curve in order to estimate pulsation frequencies from the residuals.We modelled the detached binary system assuming non-conservative evolution models with the Cambridge STARS(TWIN) code.

Context. Very high quality light curves are now available for thousands of detached eclipsingbinary stars and transiting exoplanet systems as a result of surveys for transiting exoplanets and other large-scale photometric surveys. Aims: I have developed a binary star model (ellc) that can be used to analyse the light curves of detached eclipsingbinary stars and transiting exoplanet systems that is fast and accurate, and that can include the effects of star spots, Doppler boosting and light-travel time within binaries with eccentric orbits. Methods: The model represents the stars as triaxial ellipsoids. The apparent flux from the binary is calculated using Gauss-Legendre integration over the ellipses that are the projection of these ellipsoids on the sky. The model can also be used to calculate the flux-weighted radial velocity of the stars during an eclipse (Rossiter-McLaghlin effect). The main features of the model have been tested by comparison to observed data and other light curve models. Results: The model is found to be accurate enough to analyse the very high quality photometry that is now available from space-spaced instruments, flexible enough to model a wide range of eclipsingbinary stars and extrasolar planetary systems, and fast enough to enable the use of modern Monte Carlo methods for data analysis and model testing. The software package is available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/591/A111

The accurate analysis of eclipsingbinary light curves is fundamental to obtaining information on the physical properties of stars. The model described accounts for the important geometric and photometric distortions such as rotational and tidal distortion, gravity brightening, and reflection effect. This permits a more accurate analysis of interacting eclipsing star systems. The model is designed to be useful to anyone with moderate computing resources. The programs, written in FORTRAN 4 for the IBM 360, consume about 80k bytes of core. The FORTRAN program listings are provided, and the computational aspects are described in some detail.

CCD observations of 24 eclipsingbinary systems with spectral types ranging between A0-F0, candidate for containing pulsating components, were obtained. Appropriate exposure times in one or more photometric filters were used so that short-periodic pulsations could be detected. Their light curves were analyzed using the Period04 software in order to search for pulsational behaviour. Two new variable stars, namely GSC 2673-1583 and GSC 3641-0359, were discov- ered as by-product during the observations of eclipsing variables. The Fourier analysis of the observations of each star, the dominant pulsation frequencies and the derived frequency spectra are also presented.

KIC 9851142 (V2094 Cyg, HD 188854) is an eccentric eclipsingbinary with an orbital period of Porb = 8.4854 d, exhibiting millimagnitude (mmag) amplitude pulsations on time scales of a few days. I present the results of the analysis of high-resolution spectroscopic data and Kepler long and short cadence photometry. The iterative combination of spectral classification by atmospheric analysis, radial velocity and eclipse timing variation studies, separation of pulsational features of the light curve, and binary light curve analysis led to the accurate determination of the fundamental stellar parameters and the comparison with evolutionary models strict constraints on the system age. I found that the binary is composed of two main sequence stars with an age of 0.75 ± 0.21 Gyr, having masses, radii and temperatures of M1 = 1.79 ± 0.11 M⊙ , R1 = 2.47 ± 0.07R⊙,Teff1 = 7250 ± 480 K for the primary, and M2 = 0.83 ± 0.12M⊙ , R2 = 0.67 ± 0.05R⊙,Teff2 = 5050 ± 650 K for the secondary. Multiple frequency analyses techniques were applied to the light residuals after subtracting the synthetic eclipsing curve from the Kepler data. This revealed that the primary component of KIC 9851142 is a γ Dor type pulsating star, exhibiting five pulsation frequencies in the range of 0.6-1.95 d-1 with amplitudes of 0.29-6.72 mmag and pulsation constants of 0.24-0.27 d. The analysis of the eclipse timing variations revealed preliminary apsidal motion with a period of Papseobs = 240 ± 29 y. Only six eclipsingbinaries have been known to contain γ Dor pulsating components and, therefore, KIC 9851142 will be an important test-bed for examining these exceptional and interesting objects.

Accurate knowledge of stellar parameters such as mass, radius, composition, and age inform our understanding of stellar evolution and constrain theoretical models. Binaries and, in particular, eclipsingbinaries make it possible to directly measure these parameters without reliance on models or scaling relations. In my dissertation I derive fundamental parameters of stars in close binary systems with and without (detected) tertiary companions and obtain accurate masses and radii of the components to compare with evolutionary models. Radial velocities and spectroscopic orbits are derived from optical spectra, while Doppler tomography is used to determine effective temperatures, projected rotational velocities, and metallicities for each component of the binary. These parameters are then combined with Kepler photometry to obtain accurate masses and radii through light curve and radial velocity fitting with the binary modeling software ELC. Here, I present spectroscopic orbits, atmospheric parameters, and estimated masses for 41 eclipsingbinaries (including seven with tertiary companions) that were observed with Kepler and have periods less then six days. Further analysis, including binary modeling and comparison with evolutionary models is shown for a sub-sample of these stars.

We report a study of the eclipse timing variations in contact binary systems, using long-cadence lightcurves from the Kepler archive. As a first step, observed minus calculated (O - C) curves were produced for both the primary and secondary eclipses of some 2000 Kepler binaries. We find {approx}390 short-period binaries with O - C curves that exhibit (1) random walk-like variations or quasi-periodicities, with typical amplitudes of {+-}200-300 s, and (2) anticorrelations between the primary and secondary eclipse timing variations. We present a detailed analysis and results for 32 of these binaries with orbital periods in the range of 0.35 {+-} 0.05 days. The anticorrelations observed in their O - C curves cannot be explained by a model involving mass transfer, which, among other things, requires implausibly high rates of {approx}0.01 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. We show that the anticorrelated behavior, the amplitude of the O - C delays, and the overall random walk-like behavior can be explained by the presence of a starspot that is continuously visible around the orbit and slowly changes its longitude on timescales of weeks to months. The quasi-periods of {approx}50-200 days observed in the O - C curves suggest values for k, the coefficient of the latitude dependence of the stellar differential rotation, of {approx}0.003-0.013.

Stellar pulsation theory provides a means of determining the masses of pulsating classical Cepheid supergiants-it is the pulsation that causes their luminosity to vary. Such pulsational masses are found to be smaller than the masses derived from stellar evolution theory: this is the Cepheid mass discrepancy problem, for which a solution is missing. An independent, accurate dynamical mass determination for a classical Cepheid variable star (as opposed to type-II Cepheids, low-mass stars with a very different evolutionary history) in a binary system is needed in order to determine which is correct. The accuracy of previous efforts to establish a dynamical Cepheid mass from Galactic single-lined non-eclipsingbinaries was typically about 15-30% (refs 6, 7), which is not good enough to resolve the mass discrepancy problem. In spite of many observational efforts, no firm detection of a classical Cepheid in an eclipsing double-lined binary has hitherto been reported. Here we report the discovery of a classical Cepheid in a well detached, double-lined eclipsingbinary in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We determine the mass to a precision of 1% and show that it agrees with its pulsation mass, providing strong evidence that pulsation theory correctly and precisely predicts the masses of classical Cepheids. PMID:21107425

We analyze extensive BVR{sub c}I{sub c} time-series photometry and radial-velocity measurements for WOCS 40007 (Auner 259; KIC 5113053), a double-lined detached eclipsingbinary and a member of the open cluster NGC 6819. Utilizing photometric observations from the 1 m telescope at Mount Laguna Observatory and spectra from the WIYN 3.5 m telescope, we measure precise and accurate masses ({approx}1.6% uncertainty) and radii ({approx}0.5%) for the binary components. In addition, we discover a third star orbiting the binary with a period greater than 3000 days using radial velocities and Kepler eclipse timings. Because the stars in the eclipsingbinary are near the cluster turnoff, they are evolving rapidly in size and are sensitive to age. With a metallicity of [Fe/H] = +0.09 {+-} 0.03, we find the age of NGC 6819 to be about 2.4 Gyr from color-magnitude diagram (CMD) isochrone fitting and 3.1 {+-} 0.4 Gyr by analyzing the mass-radius (M-R) data for this binary. The M-R age is above previous determinations for this cluster, but consistent within 1{sigma} uncertainties. When the M-R data for the primary star of the additional cluster binary WOCS 23009 is included, the weighted age estimate drops to 2.5 {+-} 0.2 Gyr, with a systematic uncertainty of at least 0.2 Gyr. The age difference between our CMD and M-R findings may be the result of systematic error in the metallicity or helium abundance used in models, or due to slight radius inflation of one or both stars in the WOCS 40007 binary.

We report the discovery of the first eclipsing detached double white dwarf (WD) binary, NLTT 11748. In a photometric search for pulsations from this low-mass helium core WD, we discovered approx 180 s 3%--6% dips in the photometry. Subsequent radial velocity measurements found variations with a semi-amplitude K1 = 271 ± 3 km/s (also now reported by Kawka et al. and Kilic et al.) and confirmed the dips as eclipses caused by an orbiting WD with a mass M2 = 0.648--0.771 Msun for M1 = 0.1--0.2 Msun. We detect both the primary and secondary eclipses during the Porb = 5.64 hr orbit and measure the secondary's brightness to be 3.5% ± 0.3% of the primary at SDSS-g'. Assuming that the secondary follows the mass-radius relation of a cold C/O WD and including the effects of microlensing in the binary, the primary eclipse yields a primary radius of R1 = 0.043--0.039 Rsun for M1 = 0.1--0.2 Msun, consistent with the theoretically expected values for a helium core WD with a thick, stably burning hydrogen envelope. I will discuss how our future observational efforts, such as detection of the secondary semi-amplitude K2, multiband high-cadence photometric eclipse observations, and cross system time-delay measurements, will determine M1, yielding accurate WD mass-radius measurement of both components, as well as a clearer indication of the binary's fate once contact is reached.

Early B-type main-sequence (MS) stars (M 1 ≈ 5-16 M ⊙) with closely orbiting low-mass stellar companions (q = M 2/M 1 < 0.25) can evolve to produce Type Ia supernovae, low-mass X-ray binaries, and millisecond pulsars. However, the formation mechanism and intrinsic frequency of such close extreme mass-ratio binaries have been debated, especially considering none have hitherto been detected. Utilizing observations of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy conducted by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment, we have discovered a new class of eclipsingbinaries in which a luminous B-type MS star irradiates a closely orbiting low-mass pre-MS companion that has not yet fully formed. The primordial pre-MS companions have large radii and discernibly reflect much of the light they intercept from the B-type MS primaries (ΔI refl ≈ 0.02-0.14 mag). For the 18 definitive MS + pre-MS eclipsingbinaries in our sample with good model fits to the observed light-curves, we measure short orbital periods P = 3.0-8.5 days, young ages τ ≈ 0.6-8 Myr, and small secondary masses M 2 ≈ 0.8-2.4 M ⊙ (q ≈ 0.07-0.36). The majority of these nascent eclipsingbinaries are still associated with stellar nurseries, e.g., the system with the deepest eclipse ΔI 1 = 2.8 mag and youngest age τ = 0.6 ± 0.4 Myr is embedded in the bright H II region 30 Doradus. After correcting for selection effects, we find that (2.0 ± 0.6)% of B-type MS stars have companions with short orbital periods P = 3.0-8.5 days and extreme mass ratios q ≈ 0.06-0.25. This is ≈10 times greater than that observed for solar-type MS primaries. We discuss how these new eclipsingbinaries provide invaluable insights, diagnostics, and challenges for the formation and evolution of stars, binaries, and H II regions.

CW Scl is a Solar Type (T1 ~ 6000K) solar type eclipsingbinary. It was observed in October and November, 2014 at Cerro Tololo in remote mode with the 0.6-m SARA South reflector. Three times of minimum light were calculated from our present observations, two primary and one secondary eclipses:HJD Min I = 2456939.60799±0.0002, 2456976.62450±0.0002,HJD Min II = 2456940.57227±0.0006.In addition, six observations at minima were determined from archived All Sky Automated Survey Data:HJD Min I = 2452177.603, 2452466.793, 2454404.752,HJD Min II = 2453647.652, 2454669.843, 2455101.701.The following quadratic ephemerides was determined from all available times of minimum light:JD Hel Min I=2452940.67733±0.0003d + 0.3855865917±0.00031 X E+0.000000000114±0.000000000002 X E2A BVRcIc simultaneous Wilson-Devinney Program (W-D) solution reveals that the system has a mass ratio of ~0.39, and a component temperature difference of ~200 K. A Binary Maker fitted cool spot was eliminatedby WD Synthetic Light Curve Computations. The Roche Lobe fill-out is only 7/%. The inclination is ~86°. An eclipse duration of 19.5 minutes was determined for the primary eclipse. Additional and more detailedinformation is given in this report.

The light curve modeling of binary stars has continued to evolve since its founding by Henry Norris Russell (see Russell and Merrill 1952 and citations therein) nearly a century ago, accelerated in the 1950s by Kopal's introduction of Roche geometry into models and by the development of synthetic light curve computer code in the 1970's. Improved physics and the use of more kinds of observational input are providing another round of important advances that promise to enlarge our knowledge of both binary stars and ensembles containing them. Here we discuss the newer horizons of light curve modeling and the steps being taken toward them.

The software ABSPAREB (Absolute Parameters of EclipsingBinaries) calculates the absolute parameters and their formal errors for three different modes: a) double-lined spectroscopic eclipsingbinary, b) single-lined spectroscopic eclipsingbinary, and c) for an eclipsingbinary for which there is no spectroscopic information. In addition, the positions of the binary's members on the mass-radius and color-magnitude diagrams can be also plotted. INPEVEB (Interpretation of Period Variations of EclipsingBinaries) calculates the parameters as well as their formal errors for several orbital period modulating mechanisms in eclipsingbinaries (i.e., LITE, the Applegate mechanism, mass transfer/loss, apsidal motion, magnetic braking) using from an analysis of their O-C diagrams. Both programs are available online (free of charge) in Graphical User Interface form and were written in PYTHON.

We alert the community to a paradigm method to calibrate a range of standard candles by means of well-calibrated photometry of eclipsingbinaries in star clusters. In particular, we re-examine systems studied as part of our Binaries-in-Clusters program, and previously analyzed with earlier versions of the Wilson-Devinney light-curve modeling program. We make use of the 2010 version of this program, which incorporates a procedure to estimate the distance to an eclipsing system directly, as a system parameter, and is thus dependent on the data and analysis model alone. As such, the derived distance is accorded a standard error, independent of any additional assumptions or approximations that such analyses conventionally require.

We announce the detection of an eclipsingbinary (WOCS 12009 / Sanders 1247) near the turnoff of the heavily-studied old open cluster M67 using K2 Campaign 5 data. The object was previously known to be a double-lined spectroscopic binary, and the orbit period (69.75 d) agrees with the photometric period. We present a preliminary analysis of the K2 photometry, multi-band ground-based photometry of the eclipses, and extensive radial velocity observations of the two stars. Precise measurements of the pair will begin to provide mass and radius scales for cluster stars, and will constrain the age of this iconic open cluster.We gratefully acknowledge support from NASA through grant NNX15AW24A to R.D.M.

We analyze a set of moments of minima of eclipsing variable V0873 Per. V0873 Per is a short-period low-mass binary star. Data about moments of minima of V0873 Per were taken from the literature and our observations during 2013-2014. Our aim is to test the system on existence of new bodies using timing of minima of eclipses. We found a periodic variation of orbital period of V0873 Per. This variation can be explained by the gravitational influence of a third companion on the central binary star. The mass of the third body candidate is ≈ 0.2 M_{⊙}, and its orbital period is ≈300 days. The paper also includes a table with moments of minima calculated from our observations, which can be used in future investigations of V0873 Per.

Classical Cepheids and eclipsingbinary systems are powerful probes for measuring stellar fundamental parameters and constraining stellar astrophysics. A Cepheid in an eclipsingbinary system is even more powerful, constraining stellar physics, the distance scale and the Cepheid mass discrepancy. However, these systems are rare, only three have been discovered. One of these, OGLE-LMC-CEP1812, presents a new mystery: where the Cepheid component appears to be younger than its red giant companion. In this work, we present stellar evolution models and show that the Cepheid is actually product of a stellar merger during main sequence evolution that causes the Cepheid to be a rejuvenated star. This result raises new questions into the evolution of Cepheids and their connections to smaller-mass anomalous Cepheids.

We present period studies for seventy-nine eclipsingbinaries in the Large Magellanic Cloud. New times of minimum light were derived from the data obtained by the EROS, OGLE-II and OGLE-III surveys. Nineteen stars of the seventy-nine stars show period variation were confirmed. All of the systems were studied by means of an O-C diagram analyses. Nine systems show apsidal motion, six systems show parabola, and four systems show sinusoidal period variations, respectively.

A binary star system is a pair of stars that are bound together by gravity. Most of the stars that we see in the night sky are members of multiple star systems. A system of stars where one star passes in front of the other (as observed from Earth) on a periodic basis is called an eclipsingbinary. Eclipsingbinaries can have very short rotational periods and in all cases these pairs of stars are so far away that they can only be resolved from Earth as a single point of light. The interaction of the two stars serves to produce physical phenomena that can be observed and used to study stellar properties. By careful data collection and analysis is it possible for an amateur astronomer using commercial, low cost equipment (including a home built spectroscope) to gather photometric (brightness versus time) and spectroscopic (brightness versus wavelength) data, analyze the data, and calculate the physical properties of a binary star system? Using a CCD camera, tracking mount and telescope photometric data of BB Pegasi was collected and a light curve produced. 57 Cygni was also studied using a spectroscope, tracking mount and telescope to prove that Doppler shift of Hydrogen Balmer absorption lines can be used to determine radial velocity. The orbital period, orbital velocity, radius of each star, separation of the two stars and mass of each star was calculated for the eclipsingbinary BB Pegasi using photometric and spectroscopic data and Kepler’s 3rd Law. These data were then compared to published data. By careful use of consumer grade astronomical equipment it is possible for an amateur astronomer to determine an array of physical parameters of a distant binary star system from a suburban setting.

The OGLE I-band database is a searchable database of quality photometric data available to the public. During Phase 2 of the experiment, known as "OGLE-II", I-band observations were made over a period of approximately 1,000 days, resulting in over 1010 measurements of more than 40 million stars. This was accomplished by using a filter with a passband near the standard Cousins Ic. The database of these observations is fully searchable using the mysql database engine, and provides the magnitude measurements and their uncertainties. In this work, a program of data mining the OGLE I-band database was performed, resulting in the discovery of 42 previously unreported eclipsingbinaries. Using the software package Peranso (Vanmuster 2011) to analyze the light curves obtained from OGLE-II, the eclipsing types, the epochs and the periods of these eclipsing variables were determined, to one part in 106. A preliminary attempt to model the physical parameters of these binaries was also performed, using the Binary Maker 3 software (Bradstreet and Steelman 2004).

Presented in this paper is the first precision set of multi-band light curves for the eclipsingbinary star V2790 Ori. A new linear ephemeris gives an orbital period of 0.28784176 d. The light curves were analyzed with the Wilson-Devinney program to determine the best-fit stellar model. Star spots were required in the model to account for asymmetries in the light curves. The synthetic light curve solutions presented are consistent with a W-type contact binary.

We have carried out a search with the Faulkes Telescope North (FTN) for eclipses in the binary white dwarf (WD) system SDSS J125733.63+542850.5, resulting in a non-detection. SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 was identified by Marsh et al. (2010) and Kulkarni & van Kerkwijk (2010) as a binary system consisting of a low-mass He WD (the primary) and a high-mass CO WD (the secondary), with an orbital period of 4.56 hours.

We report the discovery of 236 new eclipsingbinary stars located in and around the field of view of the Kepler Mission. The binaries were identified from photometric light curves from the Vulcan exoplanet transit survey. The Vulcan camera is comprised of a modest aperture (10cm) f/2.8 Canon lens focusing a 7° x 7° field of view onto a 4096 x 4096 Kodak CCD. The system yields an hour-to-hour relative precision of 0.003 on 12th magnitude stars and saturates at 9th magnitude. The binaries have magnitudes in the range of 9.5 < V < 13.5 and periods ranging from 0.5 to 13 days. The milli-magnitude photometric precision allows detection of transits as shallow as 1%. The catalog contains a total of 273 eclipsingbinary stars, including detached systems (high and low mass ratio), contact binaries, and triple systems. We present the derived orbital/transit properties, light curves, and stellar properties for selected targets. In addition, we summarize the results of radial velocity follow-up work. Support for this work came from NASA's Discovery Program and NASA's Origins of the Solar System Program.

WW Gem is a B-type eclipsingbinary with a period of 1.2378 days. The CCD photometry of this binary was performed in 2013 December using the 85 cm telescope at the Xinglong Stations of the National Astronomical Observatories of China. Using the updated W-D program, the photometric model was deduced from the VRI light curves. The results imply that WW Gem is a near-contact eclipsingbinary whose primary component almost fills its Roche lobe. The photometric mass ratio is q {sub ph} = 0.48(± 0.05). All collected times of minimum light, including two new ones, were used for the period studies. The orbital period changes of WW Gem could be described by an upward parabola, possibly overlaid by a light-time orbit with a period of P {sub mod} = 7.41(± 0.04) yr and a semi-amplitude of A = 0.0079 days(± 0.0005 days), respectively. This kind of cyclic oscillation may be attributed to the light-travel time effect via the third body. The long-term period increases at a rate of dP/dt = +3.47(±0.04) × 10{sup –8} day yr{sup –1}, which may be explained by the conserved mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one. With mass transfer, the massive binary WW Gem may be evolving into a contact binary.

We present model light curves for nine eclipsingbinary stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). These systems are detached binaries with nearly circular orbits, and were pseudorandomly selected from three of 21 LMC regions in the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment II (OGLE-II) survey. We make use of light curves, orbital periods, and binary classification as reported in Wyrzykowski et al. (2003). We present light curve solutions created with the software PHysics Of EclipsingBinariEs (PHOEBE, Prsa & Zwitter 2005). Each solution has the best-fit mass ratio q, system inclination i, component temperatures T1 and T2, and modified Kopal potentials Ω1 and Ω2. PHOEBE employs a Nelder & Mead's Simplex fitting method that adjusts all the input parameters to find the best fit to the light curve. Many of the light curves have significant scatter, which can lead to multiple degenerate best-fit solutions, and we discuss what can be done in the future to refine our results, derive global stellar parameters, and place these nine systems in a larger context. We acknowledge the support of the International Research Experience for Students (IRES) program, which is sponsored by the NSF and administered by NSO/GONG.

WW Gem is a B-type eclipsingbinary with a period of 1.2378 days. The CCD photometry of this binary was performed in 2013 December using the 85 cm telescope at the Xinglong Stations of the National Astronomical Observatories of China. Using the updated W-D program, the photometric model was deduced from the VRI light curves. The results imply that WW Gem is a near-contact eclipsingbinary whose primary component almost fills its Roche lobe. The photometric mass ratio is q ph = 0.48(± 0.05). All collected times of minimum light, including two new ones, were used for the period studies. The orbital period changes of WW Gem could be described by an upward parabola, possibly overlaid by a light-time orbit with a period of P mod = 7.41(± 0.04) yr and a semi-amplitude of A = 0.0079 days(± 0.0005 days), respectively. This kind of cyclic oscillation may be attributed to the light-travel time effect via the third body. The long-term period increases at a rate of dP/dt = +3.47(±0.04) × 10-8 day yr-1, which may be explained by the conserved mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one. With mass transfer, the massive binary WW Gem may be evolving into a contact binary.

GSC 3208 1986 is an NSVS and TYCHO binary, first observed from 1999 to 2000. It is a W UMa binary with a period of 0.405 days. The present observations were taken in 2012 September and are of high precision, averaging a standard deviation of better than 5 mmag. The amplitude of the light curve is very nearly 0.5 mag yet it undergoes total eclipses. Dominion Astrophysical Observatory spectra give an F3V type (T∼6900 K) for the system, the earliest of the extreme mass ratio W UMa binaries. The linear period determination of 0.4045672 days was calculated with the two sets of epochs available. An early NSVS light curve reveals that the period has been smoothly decreasing over its past 12,000 orbits. The binary may be undergoing sinusoidal oscillations due to the presence of a third body, possibly with a period of 23±3 years. The high inclination of 85° results in a long duration secondary total eclipse, lasting some 49.5 minutes. Findings indicate that GSC 3208 1986 is an immaculate extreme mass ratio, q(m{sub 2}/m{sub 1}) = 0.24, A-type W UMa binary.

We present the results of an optical spectroscopic campaign on the massive binary HD152219 located near the core of the NGC6231 cluster. Though the primary to secondary optical brightness ratio is probably about 10, we clearly detect the secondary spectral signature and we derive the first reliable SB2 orbital solution for the system. The orbital period is close to 4.2403d and the orbit is slightly eccentric (e = 0.08 +/- 0.01). The system is most probably formed by an O9.5 giant and a B1-2 V-III star. We derive minimal masses of 18.6 +/- 0.3 and 7.3 +/- 0.1Msolar for the primary and secondary, respectively, and we constrain the stellar radius at values about 11 and 5Rsolar. INTEGRAL-Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) data reveal that HD152219 is the third O-type eclipsingbinary known in NGC6231. In the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram, the primary component lies on the blue edge of the β Cep-type instability strip and its spectral lines display clear profile variations that are reminiscent of those expected from non-radial pulsations. Finally, we report the analysis of XMM-Newton observations of the system. The X-ray spectrum is relatively soft and is well reproduced by a two-temperature mekal model with kT1 = 0.26keV and kT2 = 0.67keV. The X-ray flux is most probably variable on a time-scale of days. The average X-ray luminosity during our campaign is log(LX) ~ 31.8 (ergs-1), but shows fluctuations of about 10 per cent around this value. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile) and with the XMM-Newton satellite, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA); also based on data from the Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) Archive at LAEFF, processed by ISDC. E-mail: hsana@eso.org ‡ FNRS Research Associate (Belgium).

High signal-to-noise ratio Reticon observations of Lambda Tauri have been obtained along with high-quality orbital elements for both the primary and secondary of the eclipsing system. The velocity curve of the secondary is determined for the first time. The findings include: K(1) = 56.9 + or - 0.6 km/s, K(2 = 215.6 + or - 0.7 km/s, m(1) = 7.18 + or - 0.09 solar masses, and m(2) = 1.89 + or - 0.04 solar masses. The 33-day periodicity in the residuals is confirmed and is present in the secondary velocities as well as those of the primary, and can unambiguously be ascribed to orbital motion about a third body. The K and f(m) for the 33-day orbit are 10.1 + or - 0.7 km/s and 0.0034 + or - 0.0008 solar masses. The photometry shows that the orbits are coplanar to within seven degrees. The mass of the third body is 0.7 + or - 0.2 solar masses; it is most probably a K dwarf.

We present detailed simulations of the Pan-STARRS-1 (PS1) multi-epoch, multiband 3pi Survey in order to assess its potential yield of transiting planets and eclipsingbinaries. This survey differs from dedicated transit surveys in that it will cover the entire northern sky but provide only sparsely sampled light curves. Since most eclipses would be detected at only a single epoch, the 3pi Survey will be most sensitive to deep eclipses (approx>0.10 mag) caused by Jupiters transiting M dwarfs and eclipsing stellar/substellar binaries. The survey will measure parallaxes for the approx4 x 10{sup 5} stars within 100 pc, which will enable a volume-limited eclipse search, reducing the number of astrophysical false positives compared with previous magnitude-limited searches. Using the best available empirical data, we constructed a model of the extended solar neighborhood that includes stars, brown dwarfs, and a realistic binary population. We computed the yield of deeply eclipsing systems using both a semianalytic and a full Monte Carlo approach. We examined statistical tests for detecting single-epoch eclipses in sparsely sampled data and assessed their vulnerability to false positives due to stellar variability. Assuming a short-period planet frequency of 0.5% for M dwarfs, our simulations predict that about a dozen transiting Jupiters around low-mass stars (M {sub *} < 0.3 M {sub sun}) within 100 pc are potentially detectable in the PS1 3pi Survey, along with approx300 low-mass eclipsingbinaries (both component masses <0.5 M {sub sun}), including approx10 eclipsing field brown dwarfs. Extensive follow-up observations would be required to characterize these candidate eclipsing systems, thereby enabling comprehensive tests of structural models and novel insights into the planetary architecture of low-mass stars.

We report our complete database of X-ray eclipse timings of the low-mass X-ray binary EXO 0748-676 observed by the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite. As of this writing we have accumulated 443 full X-ray eclipses, 392 of which have been observed with the Proportional Counter Array on RXTE. These include both observations where an eclipse was specifically targeted and those eclipses found in the RXTE data archive. Eclipse cycle count has been maintained since the discovery of the EXO 0748-676 system in 1985 February. We describe our observing and analysis techniques for each eclipse and describe improvements we have made since the last compilation by Wolff et al. The principal result of this paper is the database containing the timing results from a seven-parameter fit to the X-ray light curve for each observed eclipse along with the associated errors in the fitted parameters. Based on the standard O - C analysis, EXO 0748-676 has undergone four distinct orbital period epochs since its discovery. In addition, EXO 0748-676 shows small-scale events in the O - C curve that are likely due to short-lived changes in the secondary star.

We present scientific results obtained with a recently commissioned échelle spectrograph on the 0.5 m Solaris-1 telescope in the South African Astronomical Observatory. BACHES is a low-cost slit échelle spectrograph that has a resolution of 21,000 at 5500 Å. The described setup is fully remotely operated and partly automated. Custom hardware components have been designed to allow both spectroscopic and photometric observations. The setup is controlled via dedicated software. The throughput of the system allows us to obtain spectra with an average signal-to-noise ratio of 22 at 6375 Å for a 30 minute exposure of a V = 10 mag target. The stability of the instrument is influenced mainly by the ambient temperature changes. We have obtained radial velocity (RV) rms values for a bright (V = 5.9 mag) spectroscopic binary as good as 0.59 and 1.34 km s‑1 for a V = 10.2 mag eclipsingbinary. RV measurements have been combined with available photometric light curves. We present models of six eclipsingbinary systems, and for previously known targets, we compare our results with those available in the literature. Masses of binary components have been determined with 3% errors for some targets. We confront our results with benchmark values based on measurements from the HARPS and UCLES spectrographs on 4 m class telescopes and find very good agreement. The described setup is very efficient and well suited for a spectroscopic survey. We can now spectroscopically characterize about 300 eclipsingbinary stars per year up to 10.2 mag assuming typical weather conditions at SAAO without a single observing trip.

We report the discovery of the first eclipsing detached double white dwarf (WD) binary. In a pulsation search, the low-mass helium core WD NLTT 11748 was targeted for fast ({approx}1 minute) differential photometry with the Las Cumbres Observatory's Faulkes Telescope North. Rather than pulsations, we discovered {approx}180 s 3%-6% dips in the photometry. Subsequent radial velocity measurements of the primary white dwarf from the Keck telescope found variations with a semi-amplitude K{sub 1} = 271 {+-} 3 km s{sup -1} and confirmed the dips as eclipses caused by an orbiting WD with a mass M{sub 2} = 0.648-0.771 M{sub sun} for M{sub 1} = 0.1-0.2 M{sub sun}. We detect both the primary and secondary eclipses during the P{sub orb} = 5.64 hr orbit and measure the secondary's brightness to be 3.5% {+-} 0.3% of the primary at SDSS-g'. Assuming that the secondary follows the mass-radius relation of a cold C/O WD and including the effects of microlensing in the binary, the primary eclipse yields a primary radius of R{sub 1} = 0.043-0.039 R{sub sun} for M{sub 1} = 0.1-0.2 M{sub sun}, consistent with the theoretically expected values for a helium core WD with a thick, stably burning hydrogen envelope. Though nearby (at {approx}150 pc), the gravitational wave strain from NLTT 11748 is likely not adequate for direct detection by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. Future observational efforts will determine M{sub 1}, yielding accurate WD mass-radius measurement of both components, as well as a clearer indication of the binary's fate once contact is reached.

Some binary evolution scenarios for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) include long-period binaries that evolve to symbiotic supersoft X-ray sources in their late stage of evolution. However, symbiotic stars with steady hydrogen burning on the white dwarf's (WD) surface are very rare, and the X-ray characteristics are not well known. SMC3 is one such rare example and a key object for understanding the evolution of symbiotic stars to SNe Ia. SMC3 is an eclipsing symbiotic binary, consisting of a massive WD and red giant (RG), with an orbital period of 4.5 years in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The long-term V light curve variations are reproduced as orbital variations in the irradiated RG, whose atmosphere fills its Roche lobe, thus supporting the idea that the RG supplies matter to the WD at rates high enough to maintain steady hydrogen burning on the WD. We also present an eclipse model in which an X-ray-emitting region around the WD is almost totally occulted by the RG swelling over the Roche lobe on the trailing side, although it is always partly obscured by a long spiral tail of neutral hydrogen surrounding the binary in the orbital plane.

We present new photometry of the eclipsingbinary ZZ Cyg. From all accumulated eclipsing times, we constructed the (O-C) curve, which can be described by a downward parabola with a possible light-time orbit. The period decrease rate is dP / dt = - 5.73 (± 0.18) dyr-1 . The modulated period, semi-amplitude and eccentricity for the light-time orbit are Pmod = 71.4 (± 1.1)yr , A = 0.0071 (± 0.0005)day and e = 0.420 (± 0.053) , respectively. After removing effects of the magnetic activity, this kind of cyclic oscillation may be attributed to light-time effect via an additional companion. By using the W-D code, the photometric model was updated, which identified that ZZ Cyg is a near-contact binary. We find that a hot spot may occur on the primary that explains the asymmetric light curve. The secular period decrease may possibly cause the fill-out factor of the primary to increase. Finally it will finally fill its Roche lobe. This kind of binary, ZZ Cyg, may evolve into contact binary star.

AS Camelopardalis is an 8th-magnitude eclipsingbinary that consists of two main-sequence (B8 V and a B9.5 V) components in an eccentric orbit (e = 0.17) with an orbital period of 3.43 days. Like the eccentric eclipsing system DI Herculis, and a few other systems, AS Cam is an important test case for studying relativistic apsidal motion. In these systems, the theoretical general relativistic apsidal motion is comparable to that expected from classical effects arising from tidal and rotational deformation of the stellar components. Accurate determinations of the orbital and stellar properties of AS Cam have been made by Hilditch (1972) and Khalliulin and Kozyreva (1983) that permit the theoretical relativistic and classical contributions to the apsidal motion to be determined reasonably well. All the published timings of primary and secondary minima have been gathered and supplemented with eclipse timings from 1899 to 1920 obtained from the Harvard plate collection. Least-squares solutions of the eclipse timings extending over an 80 yr interval yield a smaller than expected apsidal motion, in agreement with that found by Khalliulin and Kozyreva from a smaller set of data. The observed apsidal motion for AS Cam is about one-third that expected from the combined relativistic and classical effects. Thus, AS Cam joins DI Her in having an observed apsidal motion significantly less than that predicted from theory.

BX Peg is an overcontact W UMa binary system (P = 0.280416 d) which has been rather well studied, but not fully understood due to complex changes in eclipse timings and light curve variations attributed to star spots. Photometric data collected in three bandpasses (B, V, and Ic) produced nineteen new times of minimum for BX Peg. These were used to update the linear ephemeris and further analyze potential changes in orbital periodicity by examining long-term changes in eclipse timings. In addition, synthetic fitting of light curves by Roche modeling was accomplished with the assistance of three different programs, two of which employ the Wilson-Devinney code. Different spotted solutions were necessary to achieve the best Roche model fits for BX Peg light curves collected in 2008 and 2011. Overall, the long-;term decrease (9.66 × 10-3 sec y-1) in orbital period defined by the parabolic fit of eclipse timing data could arise from mass transfer or angular momentum loss. The remaining residuals from observed minus predicted eclipse timings for BX Peg exhibit complex but non-random behavior. These may be related to magnetic activity cycles and/or the presence of an unseen mass influencing the times of minimum, however, additional minima need to be collected over a much longer timescale to resolve the nature of these complex changes.

A new photoelectric light curve of RX Hercules, a binary system with similar components, has been analyzed using Wood's computer model. RX Her, using Popper's spectroscopic mass ratio of q = 0.8472, turned out to be composed of a dimmer AO component and a larger B9.5 component. This detached system, upon analysis of the residuals in secondary minimum, shows some asymmetry during ingress which then disappears just before secondary minimum. The eccentricity e = 0.022 determined in this study is a little larger than previously published values of e = 0.018. In combination with the spectroscopic analysis of Popper, and ubvy data of Olson and Hill and Hilditch new photometric elements for RX Her were found.

We present new version of the OGLE-II catalog of eclipsingbinary stars detected in the Small Magellanic Cloud, based on Difference Image Analysis catalog of variable stars in the Magellanic Clouds containing data collected from 1997 to 2000. We found 1351 eclipsingbinary stars in the central 2.4 square degree area of the SMC. 455 stars are newly discovered objects, not found in the previous release of the catalog. The eclipsing objects were selected with the automatic search algorithm based on the artificial neural network. The full catalog with individual photometry is accessible from the OGLE INTERNET archive, at ftp://sirius.astrouw.edu.pl/ogle/ogle2/var_stars/smc/ecl . Regular observations of the SMC fields started on June 26, 1997 and covered about 2.4 square degrees of central parts of the SMC. Reductions of the photometric data collected up to the end of May 2000 were performed with the Difference Image Analysis (DIA) package. (1 data file).

We measure the radial velocity curve of the eclipsing detached white dwarf binary NLTT 11748. The primary exhibits velocity variations with a semi-amplitude of 273 km s{sup -1} and an orbital period of 5.641 hr. We do not detect any spectral features from the secondary star or any spectral changes during the secondary eclipse. We use our composite spectrum to constrain the temperature and surface gravity of the primary to be T {sub eff} = 8690 {+-} 140 K and log g = 6.54 {+-} 0.05, which correspond to a mass of 0.18 M {sub sun}. For an inclination angle of 89.{sup 0}9 derived from the eclipse modeling, the mass function requires a 0.76 M {sub sun} companion. The merger time for the system is 7.2 Gyr. However, due to the extreme mass ratio of 0.24, the binary will most likely create an AM CVn system instead of a merger.

In the era of precision cosmology, it is essential to determine the Hubble constant to an accuracy of three per cent or better. At present, its uncertainty is dominated by the uncertainty in the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which, being our second-closest galaxy, serves as the best anchor point for the cosmic distance scale. Observations of eclipsingbinaries offer a unique opportunity to measure stellar parameters and distances precisely and accurately. The eclipsing-binary method was previously applied to the LMC, but the accuracy of the distance results was lessened by the need to model the bright, early-type systems used in those studies. Here we report determinations of the distances to eight long-period, late-type eclipsing systems in the LMC, composed of cool, giant stars. For these systems, we can accurately measure both the linear and the angular sizes of their components and avoid the most important problems related to the hot, early-type systems. The LMC distance that we derive from these systems (49.97 ± 0.19 (statistical) ± 1.11 (systematic) kiloparsecs) is accurate to 2.2 per cent and provides a firm base for a 3-per-cent determination of the Hubble constant, with prospects for improvement to 2 per cent in the future. PMID:23467166

Aims: As part of our long-term observational project we aim to measure very precise mid-eclipse times for low-mass eclipsingbinaries, which are needed to accurately determine their period changes. Over two hundred new precise times of minimum light recorded with CCD were obtained for three eclipsingbinaries with short orbital periods: NSVS 01286630 (P = 0.38°), NSVS 02502726 (0.56°), and NSVS 07453183 (0.37°). Methods: O-C diagrams of studied stars were analysed using all reliable timings, and new parameters of the light-time effect were obtained. Results: We derived for the first time or improved the very short orbital periods of third bodies of between one and seven years for all measured low-mass systems. We calculated that the lowest masses of the third components are between those of red and brown dwarfs. The multiplicity of these systems also plays an important role in the precise determination of their physical parameters. This research is part of an ongoing collaboration between professional astronomers and the Czech Astronomical Society, Variable Star and Exoplanet Section.

Red giant stars are proving to be an incredible source of information for testing models of stellar evolution, as asteroseismology has opened up a window into their interiors. Such insights are a direct result of the unprecedented data from space missions CoRoT and Kepler as well as recent theoretical advances. Eclipsingbinaries are also fundamental astrophysical objects, and when coupled with asteroseismology, binaries provide two independent methods to obtain masses and radii and exciting opportunities to develop highly constrained stellar models. The possibility of discovering pulsating red giants in eclipsingbinary systems is therefore an important goal that could potentially offer very robust characterization of these systems. Until recently, only one case has been discovered with Kepler. We cross-correlate the detected red giant and eclipsing-binary catalogs from Kepler data to find possible candidate systems. Light-curve modeling and mean properties measured from asteroseismology are combined to yield specific measurements of periods, masses, radii, temperatures, eclipse timing variations, core rotation rates, and red giant evolutionary state. After using three different techniques to eliminate false positives, out of the 70 systems common to the red giant and eclipsing-binary catalogs we find 13 strong candidates (12 previously unknown) to be eclipsingbinaries, one to be a non-eclipsingbinary with tidally induced oscillations, and 10 more to be hierarchical triple systems, all of which include a pulsating red giant. The systems span a range of orbital eccentricities, periods, and spectral types F, G, K, and M for the companion of the red giant. One case even suggests an eclipsingbinary composed of two red giant stars and another of a red giant with a {delta}-Scuti star. The discovery of multiple pulsating red giants in eclipsingbinaries provides an exciting test bed for precise astrophysical modeling, and follow-up spectroscopic observations of many

Achieving maximum scientific results from the overwhelming volume of astronomical data to be acquired over the next few decades demands novel, fully automatic methods of data analysis. Here we concentrate on eclipsingbinary (EB) stars, a prime source of astrophysical information, of which only some hundreds have been rigorously analyzed, but whose numbers will reach millions in a decade. We describe the artificial neural network (ANN) approach which is able to surmount the human bottleneck and permit EB-based scientific yield to keep pace with future data rates. The ANN, following training on a sample of 33,235 model light curves, outputs a set of approximate model parameters [T2/T1, (R1 + R2)/a, esin ω , ecos ω , and sin i] for each input light curve data set. The obtained parameters can then be readily passed to sophisticated modeling engines. We also describe a novel method polyfit for preprocessing observational light curves before inputting their data to the ANN and present the results and analysis of testing the approach on synthetic data and on real data including 50 binaries from the Catalog and Atlas of EclipsingBinaries (CALEB) database and 2580 light curves from OGLE survey data. The success rate, defined by less than a 10% error in the network output parameter values, is approximately 90% for the OGLE sample and close to 100% for the CALEB sample—sufficient for a reliable statistical analysis. The code is made available to the public. Our approach is applicable to EB light curves of all classes; this first paper in the eclipsingbinaries via artificial intelligence (EBAI) series focuses on detached EBs, which is the class most challenging for this approach.

NN Ser is a short-period (P = 3.12 hr) close binary containing a very hot white dwarf primary with a mass of 0.535 M{sub sun} and a fully convective secondary with a mass of 0.111 M{sub sun}. The changes in the orbital period of the eclipsingbinary were analyzed based on our five newly determined eclipse times together with those compiled from the literature. A small-amplitude (0fd00031) cyclic period variation with a period of 7.56 years was discovered to be superimposed on a possible long-term decrease. The periodic change was plausibly explained as the light-travel time effect via the presence of a tertiary companion. The mass of the tertiary companion is determined to be M{sub 3}sin i' = 0.0107(+-0.0017) M{sub sun} when a total mass of 0.646 M{sub sun} for NN Ser is adopted. For orbital inclinations i' >= 49.{sup 0}56, the mass of the tertiary component was calculated to be M {sub 3} <= 0.014 M{sub sun}; thus it would be an extrasolar planet. The third body is orbiting the white dwarf-red dwarf eclipsingbinary at a distance shorter than 3.29 AU. Since the observed decrease rate of the orbital period is about two orders larger than that caused by gravitational radiation, it can be plausibly interpreted by magnetic braking of the fully convective component, which is driving this binary to evolve into a normal cataclysmic variable.

The system IU Aur is a semi-detached close binary system with an orbital period of 1.81 days, containing a massive star. The O-C diagram of this binary was analyzed with the least-squares method by using all available times of minima. We have found a periodic change of orbital period of IU Aur. This change has been explained by the gravitational effects of a third companion on the binay star. The orbit Parameters of the third body have been derived from the analysis of the O-C curve. The analysis indicates that the eclipsingbinary revolves around a third-body with a mass of about M_{3}>10M_{⊙} in a highly eccentric orbit.

Four color light curves of the EW type eclipsingbinary V441 Lac were presented and analyzed by the W-D code. It is found that V441 Lac is an extremely low mass ratio ( q = 0.093±0.001) semi-detached binary with the less massive secondary component filling the inner Roche lobe. Two dark spots on the primary component were introduced to explain the asymmetric light curves. By analyzing all times of light minimum, we determined that the orbital period of V441 Lac is continuously increasing at a rate of d P/d t = 5.874(±0.007) × 10-7 d yr-1. The semi-detached Algol type configuration of V441 Lac is possibly formed by a contact configuration destroyed shallow contact binary due to mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillation theory.

The apsidal motion of the eccentric eclipsingbinary DI Herculis (HD 175227) is determined from an analysis of the available observations and eclipse timings from 1959 to 1984. Least squares solutions to the primary and secondary minima extending over an 84-yr interval yielded a small advance of periastron omega dot of 0.65 deg/100 yr + or - 0.18/100 yr. The observed advance of the periastron is about one seventh of the theoretical value of 4.27 deg/100 yr that is expected from the combined relativistic and classical effects. The discrepancy is about -3.62 deg/100 yr, or a magnitude of about 20 sigma. Classical mechanisms which explain the discrepancy are discussed, together with the possibility that there may be problems with general relativity itself.

As a result from light curve solutions of six eccentric Kepler binaries we determined their orbital elements and stellar parameters. We established linear dependence of their eccentricities on the orbital periods. Besides eclipses all targets reveal out-of-eclipse light variabilities modulated on different time scales. KIC 11409698, KIC 5284133 and KIC 8316503, the targets with the biggest eccentricities in our sample, exhibit tidally induced light brightening (hump) around the periastron phase. Just they reveal considerable reflection effect due to the big temperature difference of their components (above 2200 K). The detected humps confirmed the theoretical dependence of the hump amplitude on the eccentricity and mass ratio. KIC 12557713 and KIC 7691527 show photospheric activity caused by two diametrically opposite cool spots on the lateral sides of their primary components (flip-flop effect). We found flares in the Kepler data of KIC 7691527 that is another appearance of the activity of this target.

The properties of the AL Vel binary system, a Zeta Aur system containing a B dwarf and a bright K0 giant, are reviewed with reference to IUE observations of its atmospheric eclipse and eclipse of the accretion disk around the B-dwarf component. It is found that the conditions in the chromosphere are rather similar to those in the Zeta Aur supergiants, once allowance is made for the different sizes and scale heights involved. The conditions for Mg II suppression in the wind through ionization by the B star is discussed, and it is found that radiative excitation and subsequent ionization will suffice for the conditions encountered in the AL Vel system.

In order to obtain the main stellar and orbital parameters of the Double Periodic Variable DQ Velorum, we have carried out a series of spectroscopic and photometric observations covering several orbital cycles. We disentangle DQ Vel composite spectra and measure radial velocities using an iterative method for double spectroscopic binaries. We obtain the spectroscopic mass ratio q=0.31±0.03 from the radial velocity curves. We compare our single-lined spectra with a grid of synthetic spectra and estimate the temperature of the stars. We also model the V-band light curve using a fitting method based on the simplex algorithm including an accretion disc. We find that DQ Vel is a semi-detached system consisting on a B3V gainer (T_{g}=18500±500 K) and an A1III donor star (T_{d}=9400±100 K) plus an extended accretion disc around the gainer. We compare the stellar and disc parameters of DQ Vel with the DPV V393 Sco to investigate the nature and evolution of these two similar DPV systems.

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) Orion project is one of the experiments within the broader PTF survey, a systematic automated exploration of the sky for optical transients. Taking advantage of the wide (3.{sup 0}5 x 2.{sup 0}3) field of view available using the PTF camera installed at the Palomar 48 inch telescope, 40 nights were dedicated in 2009 December to 2010 January to perform continuous high-cadence differential photometry on a single field containing the young (7-10 Myr) 25 Ori association. Little is known empirically about the formation of planets at these young ages, and the primary motivation for the project is to search for planets around young stars in this region. The unique data set also provides for much ancillary science. In this first paper, we describe the survey and the data reduction pipeline, and present some initial results from an inspection of the most clearly varying stars relating to two of the ancillary science objectives: detection of eclipsingbinaries and young stellar objects. We find 82 new eclipsingbinary systems, 9 of which are good candidate 25 Ori or Orion OB1a association members. Of these, two are potential young W UMa type systems. We report on the possible low-mass (M-dwarf primary) eclipsing systems in the sample, which include six of the candidate young systems. Forty-five of the binary systems are close (mainly contact) systems, and one of these shows an orbital period among the shortest known for W UMa binaries, at 0.2156509 {+-} 0.0000071 days, with flat-bottomed primary eclipses, and a derived distance that appears consistent with membership in the general Orion association. One of the candidate young systems presents an unusual light curve, perhaps representing a semi-detached binary system with an inflated low-mass primary or a star with a warped disk, and may represent an additional young Orion member. Finally, we identify 14 probable new classical T-Tauri stars in our data, along with one previously known

DD Ind (NSVS5066754) is a Solar Type (T ~ 5850K) solar type eclipsingbinary. It was observed in June to September, 2013 at Cerro Tololo in remote mode with the 0.6-m SARA South reflector. Five times of minimum light were calculated from our present observations, for three primary and two secondary eclipses: HJD Min I = 2456505.8085±0.0002, 2456533.73933±0.00003, 2456536.6378±0.0012HJD Min II = 2456503.8132±00.0014, 2456533.5583±0.0004In addition, two observations at minima were determined from archived All Sky Automated Survey Data:HJD Min II = 2452872.9104, 2452883.6097.The following quadratic ephemerides was determined from all available times of minimum light:JD Hel Min I=2456533.7394±0.0002d + 0.3627463±0.0000002 X E +0.00000000006 ± 0.00000000002 X E2A BVRcIc filtered simultaneous Wilson-Devinney Program (W-D) solution reveals that the system has a mass ratio of ~0.46, and a component temperature difference of ~200 K. Two weak (Tfact ~ 0.95, ~20 degree radius) cool spots were iterated on the secondary component in the WD Synthetic Light Curve Computations. They appeared in the Northern Hemisphere (colatitude 45 degrees) and near the equator (colatitude ~95 degrees), respectively.The Roche Lobe fill-out of the binary is ~13%. The inclination is ~84.8o. An eclipse duration of ~16 minutes was determined for the primary eclipse. Additional and more detailed information is given in the meeting report.

By using 78 newly determined timings of light minima together with those collected from the literature, we analysed the changes in the observed minus calculated (O-C) diagram in HS 0705+6700, a short-period (2.3 h) eclipsingbinary that consists of a very hot subdwarf B-type (sdB) star and a very cool fully convective red dwarf. We confirmed the cyclic variation in the O-C and refined the parameters of the circumbinary brown dwarf (reported to orbit the binary system in 2009) by analysing the changes for the light travel time effect that arises from the gravitational influence of the third body. Our results indicate the lower mass limit of the third body to be M3 sin i' = 33.7(±1.6) MJup. This companion would be a brown dwarf if its orbital inclination is larger than 27.7° and it is orbiting the central eclipsingbinary with an eccentricity e ˜ 0.2 at a separation of about 3.7(±0.1) au.

This research aims to study the eclipsebinary system so that its physical properties and evolution can be determined and used as an example to teach high school astronomy. The study of an eclipsingbinary system XZ Canis Minoris (XZ CMi) was done at Sirindhorn Observatory, Chiang Mai University using a 0.5-meter reflecting telescope with CCD photometric system (2184×1417 pixel) in B V and R bands of UVB System. The data obtained were used to construct the light curve for each wavelength band and to compute the times of its light minima. New elements were derived using observations with linear to all available minima. As a result, linear ephemeris is HDJmin I = .578 808 948+/-0.000 000 121+2450 515.321 26+/-0.001 07 E, and the new orbital period of XZ CMi is 0.578 808 948+/-0.000 000 121 day. The values obtained were used with the previously published times of minima to get O-C curve of XZ CMi. The result revealed that the orbital period of XZ CMi is continuously decreased at a rate of 0.007 31+/-0.000 57 sec/year. This result indicates that the binary stars are moving closer continuously. From the O-C residuals, there is significant change to indicate the existence of the third body or magnetic activity cycle on the star. However, further analysis of the physical properties of XZ CMi is required.

Eclipsingbinary millisecond pulsars (MSPs; the so-called black widows and redbacks) can provide important information about accretion history, pulsar irradiation of their companion stars, and the evolutionary link between accreting X-ray pulsars and isolated MSPs. However, the formation of such systems is not well understood, nor the difference in progenitor evolution between the two populations of black widows and redbacks. Whereas both populations have orbital periods between 0.1 and 1.0 days, their companion masses differ by an order of magnitude. In this paper, we investigate the formation of these systems via the evolution of converging low-mass X-ray binaries by employing the MESA stellar evolution code. Our results confirm that one can explain the formation of most of these eclipsingbinary MSPs using this scenario. More notably, we find that the determining factor for producing either black widows or redbacks is the efficiency of the irradiation process, such that the redbacks absorb a larger fraction of the emitted spin-down energy of the radio pulsar (resulting in more efficient mass loss via evaporation) compared to that of the black widow systems. We argue that geometric effects (beaming) are responsible for the strong bimodality of these two populations. Finally, we conclude that redback systems do not evolve into black widow systems with time.

The two objects 1SWASP J150822.80-054236.9 and 1SWASP J160156.04+202821.6 were initially detected from their SuperWASP archived light curves as candidate eclipsingbinaries with periods close to the short-period cut-off of the orbital period distribution of main-sequence binaries, at ~0.2 d. Using spectroscopic data from the Isaac Newton Telescope in La Palma, Canary Islands, we here confirm them as double-lined spectroscopic and eclipsingbinaries, in contact configuration. Following modelling of their visual light curves and radial velocity curves, we determine their component and system parameters to precisions between ~2 and 11%. The first system contains components of 1.07 and 0.55 M⊙, with radii of 0.90 and 0.68 R⊙, respectively; its primary exhibits pulsations with a period of 1/6 of the orbital period of the system. The latter contains components of 0.86 and 0.57 M⊙, with radii of 0.75 and 0.63 R⊙, respectively.

We present the discovery in Kepler’s K2 mission observations and our follow-up radial velocity (RV) observations from Keck/HIRES for four eclipsingbinary (EB) star systems in the young benchmark Pleiades and Hyades clusters. Based on our modeling results, we announce two new low mass ({M}{tot}\\lt 0.6 {M}ȯ ) EBs among Pleiades members (HCG 76 and MHO 9) and we report on two previously known Pleiades binaries that are also found to be EB systems (HII 2407 and HD 23642). We measured the masses of the binary HCG 76 to ≲2.5% precision, and the radii to ≲4.5% precision, which together with the precise effective temperatures yield an independent Pleiades distance of 132 ± 5 pc. We discuss another EB toward the Pleiades that is a possible but unlikely Pleiades cluster member (AK II 465). The two new confirmed Pleiades systems extend the mass range of Pleiades EB components to 0.2–2 {M}ȯ . Our initial measurements of the fundamental stellar parameters for the Pleiades EBs are discussed in the context of the current stellar models and the nominal cluster isochrone, finding good agreement with the stellar models of Baraffe et al. at the nominal Pleiades age of 120 Myr. Finally, in the Hyades, we report a new low mass eclipsing system (vA 50) that was concurrently discovered and studied by Mann et al. We confirm that the eclipse is likely caused by a Neptune-sized transiting planet, and with the additional RV constraints presented here we improve the constraint on the maximum mass of the planet to be ≲1.2 MJup.

We have constructed some main-sequence mergers from case A binary evolution and we have studied their characteristics using the stellar evolution code written by Eggleton. The values of both total mass and orbital angular momentum are conservative in our binary evolutions. Assuming that the matter from the secondary homogeneously mixes with the envelope of the primary and that no mass is lost from the system during the merger process, we found that some mergers might be on the left of the zero-age main sequence as defined by normal surface composition (i.e. helium content Y = 0.28 with metallicity Z = 0.02 for Population I) on a colour-magnitude diagram because of enhanced surface helium content. The study also shows that the central hydrogen content of the mergers is independent of mass. Our simple models can possibly explain a few blue stragglers observed on the left of zero-age main sequence in some clusters. However, the concentration towards the blue side of the main sequence with decreasing mass, as predicted by Sandquist et al., will not appear in our models. The products with little central hydrogen in our models are probably subgiants when they are formed, as the primaries in the progenitors also have little central hydrogen and will likely leave the main sequence during the merger process. As a consequence, we fit the formula of magnitude Mv and B-V of the mergers when they return to thermal equilibrium with maximum errors 0.29 and 0.037, respectively. Taking the above into account, we performed Monte Carlo simulations to examine our models in an old open cluster NGC 2682 and an intermediate-age cluster NGC 2660. The angular momentum loss (AML) of low-mass binaries is very important in NGC 2682, and its effect can be estimated in a simple way. In NGC 2682, binary mergers from our models cover the region with high luminosity and those from the AML are located in the region with low luminosity, which has a certain width. The blue stragglers from the AML are

We adapt the difference image centroid approach, used for finding background eclipsingbinaries, to vet K2 planet candidates. Difference image centroids were used with great success to vet planet candidates in the original Kepler mission, where the source of a transit could be identified by subtracting images of out-of-transit cadences from in-transit cadences. To account for K2's roll pattern, we reconstruct out-of-transit images from cadences that are nearby in both time and spacecraft roll angle. We describe the method and discuss some K2 planet candidates which this method suggests are false positives.

Recent timings of eclipses made between 2011 and 2014 are presented for three binary systems with hot subdwarf primary stars, AA Dor, NY Vir and EC 10246-2707. In the case of AA Dor, the period remains constant. In NY Vir, a rapidly pulsating sdBVr with a cool companion, the period change now appears more complex than can be described by a simple quadratic. EC 10246-2707, which has previously appeared to have a constant period, now appears to be showing a significant period increase. The effect of gravitational radiation in HW Vir-like systems is briefly discussed.

Observers from Australia and New Zealand used video equipment to time eclipses of short-period binary stars. The objects were typically south of -20o declination and had periods of less than a day. Many of those systems had very few observations since their discovery and some of them had not been observed for 50 or more years. We present 44 times of minima of 42 stars, provide revised ephemerides for 7 of these systems and characterize an orbital period change for RW PsA.

Observers from Australia and New Zealand used video equipment to time eclipses of short-period binary stars. The objects were typically south of -20o declination and had periods of less than a day. Many of those systems had very few observations since their discovery and some of them had not been observed for 50 or more years. We present 44 times of minima of 42 stars, provide revised ephemerides for 7 of these systems and characterize an orbital period change for RW PsA.

Close-binary evolution is one of the major formation channels of blue straggler stars (BSSs). We present binary evolution models, including case-A and/or case-B mass transfer (MT) in the intermediate- and low-mass stars, to try to understand the binary origin of BSS populations in star clusters. With the help of Monte-Carlo simulations, we compared the distribution of our synthetic MT BSSs with observations in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of M67 and M30. The current results show that primordial binary MT can only contribute to a small part of BSSs in M67, and it can credibly explain the formation of the red-BSS sequence observed in the CMD of M30. We also analyzed the spectral properties of BSS populations in open clusters (OCs) based on the LAMOST data, and a small part of BSSs indeed present Carbon depletion compared with the main sequence stars, which indicate their binary origin. Unfortunately, a statistical resfult of how much the binary MT can contribute to BSS fomation in OCs still requires larger working sample.

The light-time effect (LTE) is observed whenever the distance between the observer and any kind of periodic event changes in time. The usual cause of this change in the distance is the reflex motion about the system's barycentre due to the gravitational influence of one or more additional bodies. We analyse 5032 eclipsing contact (EC) and eclipsing detached (ED) binaries from the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) catalogue to detect variations in the times of eclipses which possibly can be due to the LTE effect. To this end we use an approach known from the radio pulsar timing where a template radio pulse of a pulsar is used as a reference to measure the times of arrivals of the collected pulses. In our analysis, as a template for a photometric time series from the ASAS, we use a best-fitting trigonometric series representing the light curve of a given EC or ED. Subsequently, an observed minus calculated (O-C) diagram is built by comparing the template light curve with light curves obtained from subsets of a given time series. Most of the variations we detect in O-C diagrams correspond to a linear period change. Three of the O-C diagrams show evidence of more than one complete LTE orbit. For these objects we obtain preliminary orbital solutions. Our results demonstrate that the timing analysis employed in radio pulsar timing can be effectively used to study large data sets from photometric surveys.

We present a catalog of 56 candidate intermediate-mass eclipsingbinary systems extracted from the third data release of the All Sky Automated Survey. We gather pertinent observational data and derive orbital properties, including ephemerides, for these systems as a prelude to anticipated spectroscopic observations. We find that 37 of the 56, or {approx}66%, of the systems are not identified in the Simbad Astronomical Database as known binaries. As a specific example, we show spectroscopic data obtained for the system HI Mon (B0 V + B0.5 V) observed at key orbital phases based on the computed ephemeris, present a combined spectroscopic and photometric solution for the system, and give stellar parameters for each component.

In this paper, we extend our study of solar-type binaries near the the low period limit to include Southern hemisphere systems. Observations are being taken at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. Here, we report B,V,R,I observations of V676 Centauri. Our three nights of data were taken in May of 1991 with a dry ice cooled Ga-As photometer attached to the 1.0-m reflector. Two new primary and two secondary epochs of minimum light were determined from the observations, and more than 100 minima were collected from the literature. Our period study spans some 35 years. The light curves show a rather large difference in eclipse depths for a W UMa binary. An O'Connell effect lends evidence of spot activity in this very short period ( 0.291 d) system. A preliminary photometric analysis of the light curves is presented.

We used a differential photometry method in which we compared the flow of program star and standard one. Observations of the 21 nights in the period from July 26 to December 2, 2015 are used for processing. The accuracy of determining for each measurement is in the range 0,003...0,009 m for different nights. On the basis of obtained data were created corresponding light curves. Next, we calculate the time difference between the centers of transits. Its time dependence showed the presence of a possible periodic change in the deflection of the middle transit time from the calculated average value. This may indicate the presence of a third object in the eclipsingbinary system. It has been found that the periodic variation of the orbital period can be explained by the gravitational influence of a third companion on the central binary system with an orbital period of about 97±10 d.

We present a period analysis of the two Algol-type eclipsingbinary systems T LMi and VX Lac using all available times of minimum in the literature, as well as new minima obtained at the Ankara University Kreiken Observatory. The period analysis of T LMi suggests mass transfer between the components and also a third body that is dynamically bound to the binary system. The analysis of VX Lac also suggests mass transfer between the components, and the presence of a third and a fourth body under the assumption of a Light-Time Effect. In addition, the periodic variation of VX Lac was examined under the hypothesis of magnetic activity, and the corresponding parameters were derived. We report here the orbital parameters for both systems, along with the ones related to mass transfer, and those for the third and fourth bodies.

We report results from summer 2006 in an ongoing study of eclipsingbinary stars. Our investigations have focused on the measurement and interpretation of light curves for W UMa-type systems 44i Boötis and VW Cephei. These contact binaries have component stars of spectral type G, and revolve with periods of 6.43 and 6.67 hours. Dome automation and scripting capabilities introduced this summer have significantly reduced experimental uncertainties in our data. In support of previous findings we continue to observe an increase in the orbital period of 44i Boo at a rate of 10.4 µs/epoch or 14.2 ms/yr. Residuals computed after incorporating the increasing period suggest an underlying sinusoidal oscillation with a 61.5 year period and amplitude of 648 seconds. AAPT Member Thomas Olsen is sponsoring the lead presenter, SPS Member Scott Henderson, and the co-presenter, SPS Member Nick Peach.

We present both binarity and pulsation of KIC 6220497 from the Kepler observations. The light curve synthesis shows that the eclipsing system is a semidetached Algol with parameters of q = 0.243 ± 0.001, i = 77.3 ± 0.3 deg, and ΔT = 3372 ± 58 K, in which the detached primary component fills its Roche lobe by ˜87 per cent. A multiple frequency analysis of the eclipse-subtracted light residuals reveals 33 frequencies in the range of 0.75-20.22 d-1 with amplitudes between 0.27 and 4.56 mmag. Among these, four are pulsation frequencies in fundamental (f1, f5) and p (f2, f7) modes, and six are orbital frequency (f8, f31) and its harmonics (f6, f11, f20, f24), which can be attributed to tidally excited modes. For the pulsation frequencies, the pulsation constants of 0.16-0.33 d and the period ratios of Ppul/Porb = 0.042-0.089 indicate that the primary component is a δ Sct pulsating star and, thus, KIC 6220497 is an oscillating eclipsing Algol (oEA) star. The dominant pulsation period of 0.117 4051 ± 0.000 0004 d is significantly longer than that expected from empirical relations that link the pulsation period with the orbital period. The surface gravity of log g1 = 3.78 ± 0.03 is clearly smaller than those of the other oEA stars with similar orbital periods. The pulsation period and the surface gravity of the pulsating primary demonstrate that KIC 6220497 would be the more evolved eclipsingbinary, compared with normal oEA stars.

In 1985, Guinan & Maloney presented the detailed analysis of the puzzling eclipsingbinary system DI Herculis. This system is rare among main sequence stars in that its apsidal motion is dominated by the effects of General Relativity. The GR contribution to its theoretically predicted apsidal motion is 2.34 o/100 y., whereas the theoretically predicted classical contribution (due to tidal and rotational deformation of the component stars) is 1.93 o/100 y. The interesting fact is that the observed apsidal motion, determined from timings of the stars' mutual eclipses, is anomalously low: ˜1 o/100 y., well below the combined theoretical expectation of 4.27 o/100 y. Since Rudkj\\o bing's (1959) announcement of the special nature of DI Her, observers have been measuring light curves and radial velocity curves to determine the orbital parameters of the system and the stellar properties of its components. DI Her consists of two main sequence stars (B5V and B6V) in a 10.55 day eccentric orbit (e=0.489). Observations of times of minima reveal the system's apsidal motion, computed from the changing displacement of the secondary eclipse from the primary eclipse. Four decades of photoelectric measurements show that the observed apsidal motion remains below that predicted. Various explanations for this discrepancy have been offered, with the most promising involving the presence of a third component of the system. In a highly inclined orbit, the third body would diminish the rate of apsidal advance of the close pair. Adding photometry recently taken with the 0.8 m Four College Automatic Photoelectric Telescope, we present a new determination of the apsidal motion for DI Her. We also present the results from a new formalism for studying three-body interactions by Mardling in the DI Her system. This research is supported by NSF/RUI grant AST00-71260, which we gratefully acknowledge.

This investigation was aimed at determining structural features of the atmospheres of the massive early-type companion stars of eclipse x-ray pulsars by measurement of the attenuation of the x-ray spectrum during eclipse transitions and in deep eclipse. Several extended visits were made to ISAS in Japan by G. Clark and his graduate student, Jonathan Woo to coordinate the Ginga observations and preliminary data reduction, and to work with the Japanese host scientist, Fumiaki Nagase, in the interpretation of the data. At MIT extensive developments were made in software systems for data interpretation. In particular, a Monte Carlo code was developed for a 3-D simulation of the propagation of x-rays from the neutron star through the ionized atmosphere of the companion. With this code it was possible to determine the spectrum of Compton-scattered x-rays in deep eclipse and to subtract that component from the observed spectra, thereby isolating the software component that is attributable in large measure to x-rays that have been scattered by interstellar grains. This research has culminated in the submission of paper to the Astrophysical Journal on the determination of properties of the atmosphere of QV Nor, the BOI companion of 4U 1538-52, and the properties of interstellar dust grains along the line of sight from the source. The latter results were an unanticipated byproduct of the investigation. Data from Ginga observations of the Magellanic binaries SMC X-1 and LMC X-4 are currently under investigation as the PhD thesis project of Jonathan Woo who anticipated completion in the spring of 1993.

New CCD observations for 13 eccentric eclipsingbinaries from the Large Magellanic Cloud were carried out using the Danish 1.54 m telescope located at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. These systems were observed for their times of minimum and 56 new minima were obtained. These are needed for accurate determination of the apsidal motion. Besides that, in total 436 times of minimum were derived from the photometric databases OGLE and MACHO. The O - C diagrams of minimum timings for these B-type binaries were analyzed and the parameters of the apsidal motion were computed. The light curves of these systems were fitted using the program PHOEBE, giving the light curve parameters. We derived for the first time relatively short periods of the apsidal motion ranging from 21 to 107 years. The system OGLE-LMC-ECL-07902 was also analyzed using the spectra and radial velocities, resulting in masses of 6.8 and 4.4 M⊙ for the eclipsing components. For one system (OGLE-LMC-ECL-20112), the third-body hypothesis was also used to describe the residuals after subtraction of the apsidal motion, resulting in a period of about 22 years. For several systems an additional third light was also detected, which makes these systems suspect for triplicity. Based on data collected with the Danish 1.54 m telescope at the ESO La Silla Observatory.

The observed eclipsing time variations in post-common-envelope binaries (PCEBs) can be interpreted as potential evidence for massive Jupiter-like planets, or as a result of magnetic activity, leading to quasi-periodic changes in the quadrupole moment of the secondary star. The latter is commonly referred to as the Applegate mechanism. We employ an improved version of Applegate's model including the angular momentum exchange between a finite shell and the core of the star. The framework is employed to derive the general conditions under which the Applegate mechanism can work, and is subsequently applied to a sample of 16 close binary systems with potential planets, including eleven PCEBs. Further, we present a detailed derivation and study of analytical models that allow for an straightforward extension to other systems. Using our full numerical framework, we show that the Applegate mechanism can clearly explain the observed eclipsing time variations in four of the systems, while the required energy to produce the quadrupole moment variations is too high in at least eight systems. In the remaining four systems, the required energy is comparable to the available energy produced by the stars, which we consider borderline cases. Therefore, the Applegate mechanism cannot uniquely explain the observed period time variations for this entire population. Even in systems where the required energy is too high, the Applegate mechanism may provide an additional scatter, which needs to be considered in the derivation and analysis of planetary models.

First spectroscopic and new photometric observations of the eclipsingbinary FM Leo are presented. The main aims were to determine the orbital and stellar parameters of the two components and their evolutionary stage. First spectroscopic observations of the system were obtained with the David Dunlap Observatory and Poznań Spectroscopic Telescope spectrographs. The results of the orbital solution from radial velocity curves are combined with those derived from the light-curve analysis (V-band photometry from the All Sky Automated Survey and supplementary observations of eclipses with the 1 and 0.35m telescopes) to derive orbital and stellar parameters. JKTEBOP, Wilson-Devinney binary modelling codes and a two-dimensional cross-correlation method were applied for the analysis. We find the masses to be M1 = 1.318 +/- 0.007 and M2 = 1.287 +/- 0.007Msolar and the radii to be R1 = 1.648 +/- 0.043 and R2 = 1.511 +/- 0.049 Rsolar for primary and secondary stars, respectively. The evolutionary stage of the system is briefly discussed by comparing physical parameters with current stellar evolution models. We find that the components are located at the main sequence, with an age of about 3Gyr.

The eclipsingbinary DI Herculis (DI Her) is known to exhibit anomalously slow apsidal precession below the rate predicted by general relativity. Recent measurements of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect indicate that stellar spins in DI Her are almost orthogonal to the orbital angular momentum, which explains the anomalous precession in agreement with the earlier theoretical suggestion by Shakura. However, these measurements yield only projections of the spin-orbit angles onto the sky plane, leaving the spin projection onto our line of sight unconstrained. Here we describe a method for determining the full three-dimensional spin orientation of the binary components relying on the use of the gravity-darkening effect, which is significant for the rapidly rotating stars in DI Her. Gravity darkening gives rise to a nonuniform brightness distribution over the stellar surface, the pattern of which depends on the stellar spin orientation. Using archival photometric data obtained during multiple eclipses over several decades, we are able to constrain the unknown spin angles in DI Her with this method, finding that the spin axes of both stars lie close to the plane of the sky. Our procedure fully accounts for the precession of stellar spins over the long time span of observations.

We report the detection of eclipses in GJ 3236, a bright (I = 11.6), very low mass binary system with an orbital period of 0.77 days. Analysis of light and radial velocity curves of the system yielded component masses of 0.38 {+-} 0.02 M{sub sun} and 0.28 {+-} 0.02 M{sub sun}. The central values for the stellar radii are larger than the theoretical models predict for these masses, in agreement with the results for existing eclipsingbinaries, although the present 5% observational uncertainties limit the significance of the larger radii to approximately 1{sigma}. Degeneracies in the light curve models resulting from the unknown configuration of surface spots on the components of GJ 3236 currently dominate the uncertainties in the radii, and could be reduced by obtaining precise, multiband photometry covering the full orbital period. The system appears to be tidally synchronized and shows signs of high activity levels as expected for such a short orbital period, evidenced by strong H{alpha} emission lines in the spectra of both components. These observations probe an important region of mass-radius parameter space around the predicted transition to fully convective stellar interiors, where there are a limited number of precise measurements available in the literature.

Timing method based on the registration period of variations of a periodic process, associated with the star. The study of stellar eclipsingbinary system for a long time allows a series of several transits, depending on the orbital period of the satellite smaller. We present a photometric study of system of the type HW Vir HS 2231 + 2441. Photometric data processing was performed using C-MuniWin Version 1.2.30 program. The accuracy of values for each observation point is in the range 0,003...0,009m for different nights. The calculated ephemeris determined from the light curve by fitting of arc of minimums to the nuclei of primary and secondary eclipses. The amplitude of the periodic changes of minimums moments that arise from the orbital motion of a close pair of stars around the barycenter of the triple system, is less than 0.0008 days (1.15 minutes). It was found that the periodic variation of the orbital period can be explained by the gravitational influence of a third companion on the central binary system with an orbital period of about 97±10d. Periodogram analysis of the observational data series indicate also on the periodicity with values of 48±5d and 195±15d, but with substantially less reliably

We announce the discovery of a new eclipsing hot subdwarf B + M dwarf binary, EC 10246-2707, and present multicolour photometric and spectroscopic observations of this system. Similar to other HW Vir-type binaries, the light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, along with a strong reflection effect from the M dwarf; no intrinsic light contribution is detected from the cool companion. The orbital period is 0.118 507 9936 ± 0.000 000 0009 d, or about 3 h. Analysis of our time series spectroscopy reveals a velocity semi-amplitude of K1 = 71.6 ± 1.7 km s-1 for the sdB and best-fitting atmospheric parameters of Teff = 28 900 ± 500 K, log g = 5.64 ± 0.06 and log N(He)/N(H) = -2.5 ± 0.2. Although we cannot claim a unique solution from modelling the light curve, the best-fitting model has an sdB mass of 0.45 M⊙ and a cool companion mass of 0.12 M⊙. These results are roughly consistent with a canonical-mass sdB and M dwarf separated by a ˜ 0.84 R⊙. We find no evidence of pulsations in the light curve and limit the amplitude of rapid photometric oscillations to <0.08 per cent. Using 15 yr of eclipse timings, we construct an observed minus calculated (O - C) diagram but find no statistically significant period changes; we rule out |dot{P}| > 7.2 × 10^{-12}. If EC 10246-2707 evolves into a cataclysmic variable, its period should fall below the famous cataclysmic variable period gap.

We present a long-term programme for timing the eclipses of white dwarfs in close binaries to measure apparent and/or real variations in their orbital periods. Our programme includes 67 close binaries, both detached and semi-detached and with M-dwarfs, K-dwarfs, brown dwarfs or white dwarfs secondaries. In total, we have observed more than 650 white dwarf eclipses. We use this sample to search for orbital period variations and aim to identify the underlying cause of these variations. We find that the probability of observing orbital period variations increases significantly with the observational baseline. In particular, all binaries with baselines exceeding 10 yrs, with secondaries of spectral type K2 - M5.5, show variations in the eclipse arrival times that in most cases amount to several minutes. In addition, among those with baselines shorter than 10 yrs, binaries with late spectral type (>M6), brown dwarf or white dwarf secondaries appear to show no orbital period variations. This is in agreement with the so-called Applegate mechanism, which proposes that magnetic cycles in the secondary stars can drive variability in the binary orbits. We also present new eclipse times of NN Ser, which are still compatible with the previously published circumbinary planetary system model, although only with the addition of a quadratic term to the ephemeris. Finally, we conclude that we are limited by the relatively short observational baseline for many of the binaries in the eclipse timing programme, and therefore cannot yet draw robust conclusions about the cause of orbital period variations in evolved, white dwarf binaries.

We present a long-term programme for timing the eclipses of white dwarfs in close binaries to measure apparent and/or real variations in their orbital periods. Our programme includes 67 close binaries, both detached and semi-detached and with M-dwarfs, K-dwarfs, brown dwarfs or white dwarfs secondaries. In total, we have observed more than 650 white dwarf eclipses. We use this sample to search for orbital period variations and aim to identify the underlying cause of these variations. We find that the probability of observing orbital period variations increases significantly with the observational baseline. In particular, all binaries with baselines exceeding 10 yr, with secondaries of spectral type K2 - M5.5, show variations in the eclipse arrival times that in most cases amount to several minutes. In addition, among those with baselines shorter than 10 yr, binaries with late spectral type (>M6), brown dwarf or white dwarf secondaries appear to show no orbital period variations. This is in agreement with the so-called Applegate mechanism, which proposes that magnetic cycles in the secondary stars can drive variability in the binary orbits. We also present new eclipse times of NN Ser, which are still compatible with the previously published circumbinary planetary system model, although only with the addition of a quadratic term to the ephemeris. Finally, we conclude that we are limited by the relatively short observational baseline for many of the binaries in the eclipse timing programme, and therefore cannot yet draw robust conclusions about the cause of orbital period variations in evolved, white dwarf binaries.

We present the discovery of the totally eclipsing long-period (P = 771.8 days) binary system WOCS 23009 in the old open cluster NGC 6819 that contains both an evolved star near central hydrogen exhaustion and a low-mass (0.45 M {sub Sun }) star. This system was previously known to be a single-lined spectroscopic binary, but the discovery of an eclipse near apastron using data from the Kepler space telescope makes it clear that the system has an inclination that is very close to 90 Degree-Sign . Although the secondary star has not been identified in spectra, the mass of the primary star can be constrained using other eclipsingbinaries in the cluster. The combination of the total eclipses and a mass constraint for the primary star allows us to determine a reliable mass for the secondary star and radii for both stars, and to constrain the cluster age. Unlike well-measured stars of similar mass in field binaries, the low-mass secondary is not significantly inflated in radius compared to model predictions. The primary star characteristics, in combination with cluster photometry and masses from other cluster binaries, indicate a best age of 2.62 {+-} 0.25 Gyr, although stellar model physics may introduce systematic uncertainties at the {approx}10% level. We find preliminary evidence that the asteroseismic predictions for red giant masses in this cluster are systematically too high by as much as 8%.

We present the results of a three-continent multisite photometric campaign carried out on the Algol-type eclipsingbinary system Y Cam, in which the primary component is a multiperiodic δ Sct-type pulsator. The observations consist of 86 nights and more than 450 h of useful data collected mainly during the Northern winter 2002-2003. This means that this is the most extensive time series for such kind of systems obtained so far. These observations were collected mostly in the Johnson V filter, but they also include, for the first time, nearly complete binary light curves in simultaneous Strömgren uvby filters together with a few Crawford Hβ data obtained around the orbital phase of the first quadrature. A detailed photometric analysis is presented for both binarity and pulsation. The results indicate a semidetached system with the secondary filling its Roche lobe. No significant contribution from a third body is found. The residuals from the computed binary solution were then used to investigate the pulsational content of the primary component. The frequency analysis of the out-of-primary-eclipse data leads to a set of eight significant and independent pulsational peaks in a well-defined region of the frequency domain. This means that this is the largest set of excited modes discovered so far in the pulsating component of such kind of systems. The possibility of aliasing problems during the present run or short-term time-scale amplitude variations in some of them was investigated with null results. Indeed the results indicate that f1 and f3 form a frequency doublet with a beat period of Pbeat = 17.065 d. Our results confirm the frequencies already detected by earlier authors and show the presence of some additional significant peaks. The observed amplitudes during the present run are also consistent with those derived from older data sets. We perform a preliminary mode identification for most of the frequencies on the basis of the collected multicolour photometry

The discovery of the most compact detached white dwarf (WD) binary SDSS J065133.33+284423.3 has been discussed in terms of probing the tidal effects in WDs. This system is also a verification source for the space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector, eLISA, or the evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, which will observe short-period compact Galactic binaries with P {sub orb} ≲ 5 hr. We address the prospects of performing tidal studies using eLISA binaries by showing the fractional uncertainties in the orbital decay rate, f-dot , and the rate of that decay, f{sup ¨} expected from both the GW and electromagnetic (EM) data for some of the high-f binaries. We find that f-dot and f{sup ¨} can be measured using GW data only for the most massive WD binaries observed at high frequencies. From timing the eclipses for ∼10 yr, we find that f-dot can be known to ∼0.1% for J0651. We find that from GW data alone, measuring the effects of tides in binaries is (almost) impossible. We also investigate the improvement in the knowledge of the binary parameters by combining the GW amplitude and inclination with EM data with and without f-dot . In our previous work, we found that EM data on distance constrained the 2σ uncertainty in chirp mass to 15%-25% whereas adding f-dot reduces it to 0.11%. EM data on f-dot also constrain the 2σ uncertainty in distance to 35%-19%. EM data on primary mass constrain the secondary mass m {sub 2} to factors of two to ∼40% whereas adding f-dot reduces this to 25%. Finally, using single-line spectroscopic data constrains 2σ uncertainties in both the m {sub 2}, d to factors of two to ∼40%. Adding EM data on f-dot reduces these 2σ uncertainties to ≤25% and 6%-19%, respectively. Thus we find that EM measurements of f-dot and radial velocity are valuable in constraining eLISA binary parameters.

As part of our study of the old (˜2.5 Gyr) open cluster NGC 6819 in the Kepler field, we present photometric (Kepler and ground-based BVRCIC) and spectroscopic observations of the detached eclipsingbinary WOCS 24009 (Auner 665; KIC 5023948) with a short orbital period of 3.6 days. WOCS 24009 is a triple-lined system, and we verify that the brightest star is physically orbiting the eclipsingbinary using radial velocities and eclipse timing variations. The eclipsingbinary components have masses MB = 1.090 ± 0.010 M⊙ and MC = 1.075 ± 0.013 M⊙, and radii RB = 1.099 ± 0.006 ± 0.005 R⊙ and RC = 1.069 ± 0.006 ± 0.013 R⊙. The bright non-eclipsing star resides at the cluster turnoff, and ultimately its mass will directly constrain the turnoff mass: our preliminary determination is MA = 1.251 ± 0.057 M⊙. A careful examination of the light curves indicates that the fainter star in the eclipsingbinary undergoes a very brief period of total eclipse, which enables us to precisely decompose the light of the three stars and place them in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). We also present improved analysis of two previously discussed detached eclipsing stars in NGC 6819 (WOCS 40007 and WOCS 23009) en route to a combined determination of the cluster’s distance modulus (m - M)V = 12.38 ± 0.04. Because this paper significantly increases the number of measured stars in the cluster, we can better constrain the age of the CMD to be 2.21 ± 0.10 ± 0.20 Gyr. Additionally, using all measured eclipsingbinary star masses and radii, we constrain the age to 2.38 ± 0.05 ± 0.22 Gyr. The quoted uncertainties are estimates of measurement and systematic uncertainties (due to model physics differences and metal content), respectively. This is paper 57 of the WIYN Open Cluster Study (WOCS).

New orbital period variation of the eclipsingbinary, AD Andromeda, was analyzed based on one CCD photometric times of minimum we have obtained and all available photoelectric and CCD values collected from the literatures. It is discovered that the orbital period of the binary shows a periodic oscillation with a period of 14.38 years and an amplitude of 0.0186 days. The periodic oscillation can be explained by the light-time effect via the presence of a tertiary component in a nearly circular orbit with a small eccentricity of e = 0.30 in the system. Based on the present analysis, it is estimated that the mass of the third body is no less than 1.76(±0.08)M⊙, and it should contribute light to the total system. Meanwhile, the photoelectric light curve obtained in yellow light by Ruciński [Ruciński, S.M., 1966. AcA 16, 307] was reanalyzed with the 2003 version of the W-D code. The results show that AD Andromeda is a detached eclipsingbinary, and photometric solutions were computed. Based on the analysis, we obtained a small amount of third light in the system (L3V˜0.001), which is too small for the contribution of the tertiary companion star. The low luminosity of the third companion may be explained in two possible ways, either: (1) the third companion might itself be a close double star consisting of two stars of 0.88 solar masses, or (2) it is a dark star such as a neutron star. We think the first possibility is a more likely one than a neutron star companion. New photometric and spectroscopic observations and a detailed investigation of those data are urgently required in the future.

We present a photometric and spectroscopic study of the visual binary V342 Andromedae. Visual components of the system have angular separations of 3 arcseconds. We obtained two spectroscopic data sets. An examination of both the A and B component spectra reveals that the B component is a spectroscopic binary with an eccentric orbit. The orbital period, taken from the Hipparcos Catalog, agrees with the orbital period of the B component measured spectroscopically. We also collected a new set of photometric measurements. The argument of periastron is close to 270° and the orbit eccentricity is not seen in our photometric data. About five years after the first spectroscopic observations, a new set of spectroscopic data was obtained. We analysed the apsidal motion, but we did not find any significant changes in the orbital orientation. A Wilson-Devinney model was calculated based on the photometric and the radial velocity curves. The result shows two very similar stars with masses M1 = 1.27 ± 0.01 M⊙, M2 = 1.28 ± 0.01 M⊙, respectively. The radii are R1 = 1.21 ± 0.01 R⊙, R2 = 1.25 ± 0.01 R⊙, respectively. Radial velocity measurements of component A, the most luminous star in the system, reveal no significant periodic variations. We calculated the time of the eclipsingbinary orbit's circularization, which is about two orders of magnitude shorter than the estimated age of the system. The discrepancies in the age estimation can be explained by the Kozai effect induced by the visual component A. The atmospheric parameters and the chemical abundances for the eclipsing pair, as well as the LSD profiles for both visual components, were calculated from two high-resolution, well-exposed spectra obtained on the 2-m class telescope. Based on spectroscopy obtained at the David Dunlap Observatory, University of Toronto, Canada, Poznań Spectroscopic Telescope 1, Poland and Thüringer Landessternwarte, Tautenburg, Germany.

The 8th-mag eclipsingbinary DI Herculis has perplexed scientists for the past few decades due to its anomalously slow apsidal motion rate. DI Her consists of two main-sequence stars (B5V, B6V), with P(orb) = 10.55 days, and eccentricity(e= 0.489). Since the apsidal motion is dominated by General Relativity, the system is one of the few tests available for verifying the theory. Combining the expected classical (1.93°/100 yr) and relativistic (2.34°/100 yr) effects, the predicted apsidal motion rate is 4.27°/100 yr. Our recent determination of the apsidal motion yields 1.33°+/-0.25 /100 yr, based on eclipse timings from 1936-2008. Recently, Albrecht et al (2009, Nature 461) have apparently solved the apsidal motion anomaly of DI Her, finding that the axes of both stars are significantly inclined from the normal to the orbital plane. This was determined from the radial velocity curves and observing the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect during primary and secondary eclipses. Having significantly misaligned axes of rotation produces a perturbation that greatly reduces the classical apsidal motion effect, thus explaining the observed small apsidal motion rate. Even though this discovery apparently solves the problem, it raises new questions as to how the axes are so tilted. Additionally, tilted axes are expected to contribute to other orbital effects, such as changes in orbital inclination, which have not yet observed from the apparent constancy in eclipse depths over time. We have also searched for evidence of small periodic oscillations in the eclipse timings and found no evidence of a light travel time effect arising from a possible tertiary component. Further, we find evidence that the projected rotation axes of the stars may be precessing, since it appears that the value of V(rot)sini has increased over the past 30 years. This research was supported by NSF/RUI Grants AST05-07536/42.

KIC 6131659 is a long-period (17.5 days) eclipsingbinary discovered by the Kepler mission. We analyzed six quarters of Kepler data along with supporting ground-based photometric and spectroscopic data to obtain accurate values for the mass and radius of both stars, namely, M{sub 1} = 0.922 {+-} 0.007 M{sub Sun }, R{sub 1} = 0.8800 {+-} 0.0028 R{sub Sun }, and M{sub 2} = 0.685 {+-} 0.005 M{sub Sun }, R{sub 2} = 0.6395 {+-} 0.0061 R{sub Sun }. There is a well-known issue with low-mass (M {approx}< 0.8 M{sub Sun }) stars (in cases where the mass and radius measurement uncertainties are smaller than 2% or 3%) where the measured radii are almost always 5% to 15% larger than expected from evolutionary models, i.e., the measured radii are all above the model isochrones in a mass-radius plane. In contrast, the two stars in KIC 6131659 were found to sit on the same theoretical isochrone in the mass-radius plane. Until recently, all of the well-studied eclipsingbinaries with low-mass stars had periods of less than about three days. The stars in such systems may have been inflated by high levels of stellar activity induced by tidal effects in these close binaries. KIC 6131659 shows essentially no evidence of enhanced stellar activity, and our measurements support the hypothesis that the unusual mass-radius relationship observed in most low-mass stars is influenced by strong magnetic activity created by the rapid rotation of the stars in tidally locked, short-period systems. Finally, using short cadence data, we show that KIC 6131657 has one of the smallest measured non-zero eccentricities of a binary with two main-sequence stars, where ecos {omega} (4.57 {+-} 0.02) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5}.

We present the first full orbital and physical analysis of HD 187669, recognized by the All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) as the eclipsingbinary ASAS J195222-3233.7. We combined multi-band photometry from the ASAS and SuperWASP public archives and 0.41-m PROMPT robotic telescopes with our high-precision radial velocities from the HARPS spectrograph. Two different approaches were used for the analysis: (1) fitting to all data simultaneously with the WD code and (2) analysing each light curve (with JKTEBOP) and radial velocities separately and combining the partial results at the end. This system also shows a total primary (deeper) eclipse, lasting for about 6 d. A spectrum obtained during this eclipse was used to perform atmospheric analysis with the MOOG and SME codes to constrain the physical parameters of the secondary. We found that ASAS J195222-3233.7 is a double-lined spectroscopic binary composed of two evolved, late-type giants, with masses of M1 = 1.504 ± 0.004 and M2 = 1.505 ± 0.004 M⊙, and radii of R1 = 11.33 ± 0.28 and R2 = 22.62 ± 0.50 R⊙. It is slightly less metal abundant than the Sun, and has a P = 88.39 d orbit. Its properties are well reproduced by a 2.38-Gyr isochrone, and thanks to the metallicity estimation from the totality spectrum and high precision of the masses, it was possible to constrain the age down to 0.1 Gyr. It is the first so evolved Galactic eclipsingbinary measured with such good accuracy, and as such it is a unique benchmark for studying the late stages of stellar evolution.

The value of rotational v sin i for the cooler star in the eclipsing RS CVn binary CF Tuc deduced from high-resolution spectroscopy and least-squares deconvolution by Donati et al. (1997) appears to be too high when compared to the radius obtained from the light-curve solution. We suggest that this case be studied further.

Due to an errors in calculated heliocentric corrections, there are 404 wrong HJD minima timings (with larger Difference than Min error; see header of the Table) in "B.R.N.O. Contributions #38 Times of minima of eclipsingbinary" paper. The correct minima timings are presented hereafter.

This Letter presents the first distance measurement to the massive, semi-detached, eclipsingbinary LMC-SC1-105, located in the LH 81 association of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Previously determined parameters of the system are combined with new near-infrared photometry and a new temperature analysis to constrain the reddening toward the system, and determine a distance of 50.6 {+-} 1.6 kpc (corresponding to a distance modulus of 18.52 {+-} 0.07 mag), in agreement with previous eclipsingbinary measurements. Although this is the sixth distance measurement to an eclipsingbinary in the LMC, it is the first to an O-type system. We thus demonstrate the suitability of O-type eclipsingbinaries (EBs) as distance indicators. We suggest using bright, early-type EBs to measure distances along different sight lines, as an independent way to map the depth of the LMC and resolve the controversy about its three-dimensional structure.

The first observations conducted as part of the Chandra ACIS survey of M33 (ChASeM33) sampled the eclipsing X-ray binary M33 X-7 over a large part of the 3.45 day orbital period and have resolved eclipse ingress and egress for the first time. The occurrence of the X-ray eclipse allows us to determine an improved ephemeris of mid-eclipse and binary period as HJD (2,453,639.119+/-0.005)+/-N(3.453014+/-0.000020) and constrain the eclipse half-angle to 26.5d+/-1.1d. There are indications for a shortening of the orbital period. The X-ray spectrum is best described by a disk blackbody spectrum typical for black hole X-ray binaries in the Galaxy. We find a flat power density spectrum, and no significant regular pulsations were found in the frequency range of 10-4 to 0.15 Hz. HST WFPC2 images resolve the optical counterpart, which can be identified as an O6 III star with the help of extinction and color corrections derived from the X-ray absorption. Based on the optical light curve, the mass of the compact object in the system most likely exceeds 9 Msolar. This mass, the shape of the X-ray spectrum, and the short-term X-ray time variability identify M33 X-7 as the first eclipsing black hole high-mass X-ray binary.

New mid-eclipse times of the short-period eclipsingbinary SW Lacertae are reported, and two cyclical variations are found in the corresponding O - C diagram. The proposed light-travel time model is refined. The best fit suggests that two possible circumbinary companions are in a near 3:1 mean-motion resonance with periods of 27.01 and 82.61 yr. Based on the best-fitting solution, we have studied the stabilities of the two companions moving on a series of mutually inclined orbits. The results show that no orbital configurations can survive for >1000 yr. Then, non-Keplerian corrections to the initial conditions and the more distant K-dwarf companion discovered by Ruciński, Pribulla & van Kerkwijk, moving on assumed circular orbits with wide ranges of orbital inclinations, are considered in our numerical simulations. The outcome similarly reveals that the whole system is yet short-term unstable. Perhaps, one or both cyclical variations in the mid-eclipse times are attributed to irregular mass exchange and/or magnetic cycles in the magnetically active W UMa system. Despite this, the instability of the system may also arise from the large uncertainties in orbital parameters. So, secular observations of this target are needed to determine the eccentricity of the outmost companion and the orbital period of the middle companion with much higher precision. Our results suggest that, if the two inner companions do exist, they should be on mutually inclined orbits of >100°, with the minimum masses of 0.62 and 1.94 M⊙ for the innermost and middle components, respectively. Our work demonstrates that it is important and necessary to perform dynamical analyses before a discovery of two or more circumbinary companions is announced.

This paper is devoted to study the circumstances favourable to detect Trojan planets in close binary star systems by the help of eclipse timing variations (ETVs). To determine the probability of the detection of such variations with ground-based telescopes and space telescopes (like former missions CoRoT and Kepler and future space missions like PLATO, TESS and CHEOPS), we investigated the dynamics of binary star systems with a planet in tadpole motion. We did numerical simulations by using the full three-body problem as a dynamical model. The stability and the ETVs are investigated by computing stability/ETV maps for different masses of the secondary star and the Trojan planet. In addition, we changed the eccentricity of the possible Trojan planet. By the help of the libration amplitude σ, we could show whether or not all stable objects are moving in tadpole orbits. We can conclude that many amplitudes of ETVs are large enough to detect Earth-like Trojan planets in binary star systems. As an application, we prepared a list of possible candidates.

This thesis describes a photometric monitoring survey of Galactic star clusters designed to detect low-mass eclipsingbinary star systems through variations in their relative lightcurves. The aim is to use cluster eclipsingbinaries to measure the masses and radii of M-dwarf stars with ages and metallicities known from studies of brighter cluster stars. This information will provide an improved calibration of the mass-luminosity-radius relation for low-mass stars, be used to test stellar structure and evolution models, and help quantify the contribution of low-mass stars to the global mass census in the Galaxy. The survey is designed to detect eclipse events in stars of ~0.3 M_sun and consists of 600 Gbytes of raw imaging data on six open clusters with a range of ages (~ 0.15 - 4 Gyr) and metallicites (~ -0.2 - 0.0 dex). The clusters NGC 1647 and M 35 contain excellent candidate systems showing eclipse like variations in brightness and photometry consistent with cluster membership. The analysis of these clusters and the eclipsing M-dwarf stars detected in them are presented. Analysis of the candidate system in NGC 1647 confirms the object as a newly discovered M-dwarf eclipsingbinary in the cluster with compenent masses of M 1 = 0.47 ± 0.05[Special characters omitted.] and M 2 = 0.19 ± 0.02[Special characters omitted.] . The small mass ratio ( M 2 / M 1 ) and low secondary mass of this object provide an unprecedented opportunity to test stellar models. We find that no stellar evolution models are consistent with all the properties of both M-dwarf stars in the eclipsingbinary. The candidate in M 35 has been confirmed as an M-dwarf eclipsingbinary, and the masses of the individual components are estimated to be M 1 ~ 0.25 M_sun and M 2 ~ 0.15 M_sun . Additional high resolution spectroscopic and photometric observations, for which we have applied and been awarded time, are necessary to accurately derive the intrinsic properties of the individual stellar

Time-resolved optical observations of the eclipsing AM Herculis binary EXO 033319 - 2554.2 are presented. High-speed photometry of an eclipse is presented and used to derive a new ephemeris for the system and to estimate the size of the region responsible for the cyclotron emission. Optical spectra that span the orbital cycle are presented, the cyclotron emission in these spectra is discussed, and the flux and radial velocity variations of H-beta, H-gamma, and He II 4686 A are examined. Models of the flux and radial velocity variations of the emission lines indicate that about half the line emission comes from low-velocity material that is about 1.4 x 10 to the 10th cm from the white dwarf. The rest comes from high-velocity material that is about 10 to the 10th cm from the white dwarf and is moving toward it at about 600 km/s. 13 refs.

New CCD photometry over four successive years from 2005 is presented for the eclipsingbinary GW Cep, together with reasonable explanations for the light and period variations. All historical light curves, obtained over a 30 yr interval, display striking light changes, and are best modeled by the simultaneous existence of a cool spot and a hot spot on the more massive cool component star. The facts that the system is magnetically active and that the hot spot has consistently existed on the inner hemisphere of the star indicate that the two spots are formed by (1) magnetic dynamo-related activity on the cool star and (2) mass transfer from the primary to the secondary component. Based on 38 light-curve timings from the Wilson-Devinney code and all other minimum epochs, a period study of GW Cep reveals that the orbital period has experienced a sinusoidal variation with a period and semi-amplitude of 32.6 yr and 0.009 days, respectively. In principle, these may be produced either by a light-travel-time effect due to a third body or by an active magnetic cycle of at least one component star. Because we failed to find any connection between luminosity variability and the period change, that change most likely arises from the existence of an unseen third companion star with a minimum mass of 0.22 M {sub sun} gravitationally bound to the eclipsing pair.

By using six newly determined mid-eclipse times together with those collected from the literature, we have found that the observed minus calculated (O-C) curve of RR Cae shows a cyclic change with a period of 11.9 yr and an amplitude of 14.3 s while it undergoes an upward parabolic variation [revealing a long-term period increase at a rate of ?]. The cyclic change was analysed for the light-travel-time effect that arises from the gravitational influence of a third companion. The mass of the third body was determined to be M3sin i'= 4.2(± 0.4) MJup, suggesting that it is a circumbinary giant planet when its orbital inclination is larger than 17?6. The orbital separation of the circumbinary planet from the central eclipsingbinary is about 5.3(± 0.6) au. The period increase is opposite to the changes caused by angular momentum loss via magnetic braking or/and gravitational radiation; and it cannot be explained by the mass transfer between both components because of its detached configuration. These indicate that the observed upward parabolic change is only a part of a long-period (longer than 26.3 yr) cyclic variation, which may reveal the presence of another giant circumbinary planet in a wide orbit.

HS 0705+6700 is a newly discovered eclipsing sdB binary system consisting of an sdB primary and a cool secondary main sequence star. CCD photometry obtained in October and November 2000 with the 2.5m Nordic (NOT) telescope (La Palma, Tenerife) in the B passband and with the 2.2m Calar Alto telescope (CAFOS, R filter) yielded eclipse light curves with complete orbital phase coverage at high time resolution. A periodogram analysis of 12 primary minimum times distributed over the time span from October 2000 to March 2001 allowed to derive the following exact period and linear ephemeris: prim. min. = HJD 2451822.759782(22) + 0.09564665(39) ṡ E A total of 15 spectra taken with the 3.5m Calar Alto telescope (TWIN spectrograph) on March 11-12, 2001, were used to establish the radial velocity curve of the primary star (K1 = 85.8 km/s) , and to determine its basic atmospheric parameters (Teff = 29300 K, log g = 5.47). The B and R light curves were solved using our Wilson-Devinney based light curve analysis code MORO (Drechsel et al. 1995, A&A 294, 723). The best fit solution yielded exact system parameters consistent with the spectroscopic results. Detailed results will be published elsewhere (Drechsel et al. 2001, A&A, in preparation).

We present new elements of apsidal motion in three eccentric eclipsingbinaries located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The apsidal motions of the systems were analyzed using both light curves and eclipse timings. The OGLE-III data obtained during the long period of 8 yr (2002-2009) allowed us to determine the apsidal motion period from their analyses. The existence of third light in all selected systems was investigated by light curve analysis. The O – C diagrams of EROS 1018, EROS 1041, and EROS 1054 were analyzed using the 30, 44, and 26 new times of minimum light, respectively, determined from full light curves constructed from EROS, MACHO, OGLE-II, OGLE-III, and our own observations. This enabled a detailed study of the apsidal motion in these systems for the first time. All of the systems have a significant apsidal motion below 100 yr. In particular, EROS 1018 shows a very fast apsidal period of 19.9 ± 2.2 yr in a detached system.

We present new elements of apsidal motion in three eccentric eclipsingbinaries located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The apsidal motions of the systems were analyzed using both light curves and eclipse timings. The OGLE-III data obtained during the long period of 8 yr (2002-2009) allowed us to determine the apsidal motion period from their analyses. The existence of third light in all selected systems was investigated by light curve analysis. The O - C diagrams of EROS 1018, EROS 1041, and EROS 1054 were analyzed using the 30, 44, and 26 new times of minimum light, respectively, determined from full light curves constructed from EROS, MACHO, OGLE-II, OGLE-III, and our own observations. This enabled a detailed study of the apsidal motion in these systems for the first time. All of the systems have a significant apsidal motion below 100 yr. In particular, EROS 1018 shows a very fast apsidal period of 19.9 ± 2.2 yr in a detached system.

The short-period (1.64 day) near-contact eclipsing WN6+O9 binary system CQ Cep provides an ideal laboratory for testing the predictions of X-ray colliding wind shock theory at close separation where the winds may not have reached terminal speeds before colliding. We present results of a Chandra X-ray observation of CQ Cep spanning one day during which a simultaneous Chandra optical light curve was acquired. Our primary objective was to compare the observed X-ray properties with colliding wind shock theory, which predicts that the hottest shock plasma (T > 20 MK) will form on or near the line-of-centers between the stars. The X-ray spectrum is strikingly similar to apparently single WN6 stars such as WR 134 and spectral lines reveal plasma over a broad range of temperatures T ~ 4 - 40 MK. A deep optical eclipse was seen as the O star passed in front of the Wolf-Rayet star but, surprisingly, no significant X-ray variability was detected. Because of the high inclination orbit, this implies that the hottest X-ray plasma is not confined to the region between the stars, at odds with the colliding wind shock picture. We will summarize the Chandra results in the context of predictions from colliding wind theory.

We report on the available X-ray data collected by INTEGRAL, Swift, and XMM-Newton during the first outburst of the INTEGRAL transient IGR J17451-3022, discovered in 2014 August. The emission of the source during the 9 months-long outburst was dominated by a thermal component (kT˜14;1.2 keV), most likely produced by an accretion disk. The XMM-Newton observation carried out during the outburst revealed the presence of multiple absorption features in the soft X-ray emission that could be associated to the presence of an ionized absorber lying above the accretion disk, as observed in many high-inclination low mass X-ray binaries. The XMM-Newton data also revealed the presence of partial and rectangular X-ray eclipses (lasting about 820 s), together with dips. The latter can be associated with increases in the overall absorption column density in the direction of the source. The detection of two consecutive X-ray eclipses in the XMM-Newton data allowed us to estimate the source orbital period at Porb=22620.5(-1.8,+2.0) s (1σ c.l.).

We report on the available X-ray data collected by INTEGRAL, Swift, and XMM-Newton during the first outburst of the INTEGRAL transient IGR J17451-3022, discovered in 2014 August. The emission of the source during the 9 months-long outburst was dominated by a thermal component (kT˜1.2 keV), most likely produced by an accretion disk. The XMM-Newton observation carried out during the outburst revealed the presence of multiple absorption features in the soft X-ray emission that could be associated to the presence of an ionized absorber lying above the accretion disk, as observed in many high-inclination low mass X-ray binaries. The XMM-Newton data also revealed the presence of partial and rectangular X-ray eclipses (lasting about 820 s), together with dips. The latter can be associated with increases in the overall absorption column density in the direction of the source. The detection of two consecutive X-ray eclipses in the XMM-Newton data allowed us to estimate the source orbital period at Porb=22620.5(‑1.8,+2.0) s (1σ c.l.).

In this work we present results of analysis of the O-C behaviour for 79 eclipsingbinary systems selected from the Kreiner's database. These systems show long time scale, possibly cyclic, modulations of their orbital periods on the timescale of a few years to several decades. We consider two possibilities to explain the observed O-C changes: (1) the Light Time Travel Effect due to the presence of a third body in the system, and (2) the Applegate effect, in which orbital period modulation is caused by cyclic changes of gravitational quadrupole momentum when a star goes through its magnetic activity cycles. Within the former explanation, the orbital parameters of a hypothetical third body are fitted using the Monte Carlo method and the lower mass limit for the third companion is calculated. As a result, we derived that in 21 cases the mass of the third body exceeds the Neutron Star mass limit.

The eclipsingbinary NN Vir is a short period system showing an EW-type light curve. Photometric observations of NN Vir were done by Gomez Ferrellad and Garcia Melendo (1997) at Esteve Duran Observatory. The first spectroscopic observations of this system were obtained by Rucinski and Lu (1999). The radial velocity and light curves analysis was made with the latest version of the Wilson program (1998), and the geometric and physical elements of the system are derived. From the simultaneous solutions of the system, we determined the masses and radii of the components: 1.89 M ⊙ and 1.65 R ⊙ for the primary component; 0.93 M ⊙ and 1.23 R ⊙ for the secondary component. We estimated effective temperatures of 7030 K for the primary and 6977 K for the secondary component.

We present our observations of the low-mass eclipsingbinary GJ 3236. We have analyzed a phased RC light-curve and confirmed previously determined fundamental parameters of the components. We detected evolution of the spot(s) and found that there exists a large spot near a polar region of the primary component and another spot either on the primary or the secondary component. We also observed 7 flare events and determined a flare rate of about 0.1 flares per hour. We observed two high energy, long-term flares with a complex light curve and possibly four weak short-term flaring events. A majority of the flares was detected in the RC filter, which indicate their high energy.

Oscillating Algol-type eclipsingbinaries (oEA) are very interesting objects that have three observational features of eclipse, pulsation, and mass transfer. Direct measurement of their masses and radii from the double-lined radial velocity data and photometric light curves would be the most essential for understanding their evolutionary process and for performing the asteroseismological study. We present the physical properties of the oEA star XX Cep from high-resolution time-series spectroscopic data. The effective temperature of the primary star was determined to be 7946 ± 240 K by comparing the observed spectra and the Kurucz models. We detected the absorption lines of the secondary star, which had never been detected in previous studies, and obtained the radial velocities for both components. With the published BVRI light curves, we determined the absolute parameters for the binary via Wilson-Devinney modeling. The masses and radii are {M}1=2.49+/- 0.06 {M}⊙ , {M}2=0.38+/- 0.01 {M}⊙ , {R}1=2.27+/- 0.02 {R}⊙ , and {R}2=2.43+/- 0.02 {R}⊙ , respectively. The primary star is about 45% more massive and 60% larger than the zero-age main sequence stars with the same effective temperature. It is probably because XX Cep has experienced a very different evolutionary process due to mass transfer, contrasting with the normal main sequence stars. The primary star is located inside the theoretical instability strip of δ Sct-type stars on the HR diagram. We demonstrated that XX Cep is an oEA star, consisting of a δ Sct-type pulsating primary component and an evolved secondary companion.

In recent years, analyses of eclipsingbinary systems have unveiled differences between the observed fundamental properties of low-mass stars and those predicted by stellar structure models. Particularly, radius and effective temperatures computed from models are {approx}5%-10% lower and {approx}3%-5% higher than observed, respectively. These discrepancies have been attributed to different factors, notably the high levels of magnetic activity present on these stars. In this paper, we test the effect of magnetic activity both on models and on the observational analysis of eclipsingbinaries using a sample of such systems with accurate fundamental properties. Regarding stellar models, we have found that unrealistically high spot coverages need to be assumed to reproduce the observations. Tests considering metallicity effects and missing opacities on models indicate that these are not able to explain the radius discrepancies observed. With respect to the observations, we have tested the effect of several spot distributions on the light curve analysis. Our results show that spots cause systematic deviations on the stellar radii derived from light curve analysis when mainly distributed over the stellar poles. Assuming the existence of polar spots, overall agreement between models and observations is reached when {approx}35% spot coverage is considered on stellar models. Such spot coverage induces a systematic deviation in the radius determination from the light curve analysis of {approx}3% and is also compatible with the modulations observed on the light curves of these systems. Finally, we have found that the effect of activity or rotation on convective transport in partially radiative stars may also contribute to the explanation of the differences seen in some of the systems with shorter orbital periods.

Context. Independent distance estimates are particularly useful to check the precision of other distance indicators, while accurate and precise masses are necessary to constrain evolution models. Aims: The goal is to measure the masses and distance of the detached eclipsing-binary TZ For with a precision level lower than 1% using a fully geometrical and empirical method. Methods: We obtained the first interferometric observations of TZ For with the VLTI/PIONIER combiner, which we combined with new and precise radial velocity measurements to derive its three-dimensional orbit, masses, and distance. Results: The system is well resolved by PIONIER at each observing epoch, which allowed a combined fit with eleven astrometric positions. Our derived values are in a good agreement with previous work, but with an improved precision. We measured the mass of both components to be M1 = 2.057 ± 0.001 M⊙ and M2 = 1.958 ± 0.001 M⊙. The comparison with stellar evolution models gives an age of the system of 1.20 ± 0.10 Gyr. We also derived the distance to the system with a precision level of 1.1%: d = 185.9 ± 1.9 pc. Such precise and accurate geometrical distances to eclipsingbinaries provide a unique opportunity to test the absolute calibration of the surface brightness-colour relation for late-type stars, and will also provide the best opportunity to check on the future Gaia measurements for possible systematic errors. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at Paranal observatory under program IDs 094.D-0320.The calibrated interferometric data as OIFITS files are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/586/A35

As part of the sophomore-junior level "Astronomical Techniques" course at Colgate University, students learn just how much science they can do with simple tools: a pair of binoculars, a clock, and pencil and paper. The students study the Algol type visual eclipsingbinary star system RZ Cassiopeiae: observing and making a light curve for the primary minimum, determining the time of minimum using several techniques, calculating the binary star system's orbital period, and determining changes in the system's period over a thirty year interval by constructing an O-C curve. Through a series of preparatory exercises, the students learn how to read star maps and use the unaided eye, binoculars and telescopes to locate star fields and make visual magnitude measurements. By making multiple measurements of stars in the field of RZ Cas on several nights, the students determine the accuracy they can achieve in estimating the visual magnitude of a star -- typically 0.2 magnitude. (Some students even accidentally discover that one of the stars in the field is a variable star!) With this experience, the students use binoculars to observe the four hour primary eclipse of RZ Cas (magnitude 6.2 - 7.7), making magnitude measurements every five minutes. A light curve is then plotted. Several methods are used to determine the time of minimum, which is then converted to heliocentric Julian day. Using times of minima determined by former students (and the instructor) in previous years dating from 1968 to the present, the students determine the average period to a tenth of a second second. By constructing an O-C curve from the class's data and that obtained by the AAVSO, changes in the period of RZ Cas are noticeable -- possibly due to mass transfer in the system. It will be interesting for future classes to build on this knowledge using the primitive tools of our not so distant past.

The Kepler Space Science Mission has revolutionized our understanding of planetary system architectures, and the diversity of planet bulk densities. From Kepler, we now have a population of ˜4,700 planet candidates and ˜ 3000 eclipsingbinaries with measured light curves, from which we can begin to characterize the distribution of stars and planets to tease out relationships between planet properties and host star properties in a robust statistical manner. The results of these investigations constrain proposed planet formation theories. This dissertation analyzes three particular sub-populations observed by Kepler that are well suited for hierarchical inference to characterize their population properties. First, we investigate the eccentricity distribution for a sample of short-period planet candidates from Kepler, where both the transit and occultation are observed for each system. This subsample lends a rare opportunity for tractable inference of its eccentricity distribution, exposing at least two populations within the eccentricity distribution and potential correlations of the eccentricity with host star metallicity and planet radius. Secondly, we investigate the mass-radius-eccentricity relation for a sample of near-resonant planet-pairs from Kepler. This study greatly improves upon previous research of constraining the mass-radius relation for small planets. Furthermore, we explore the period-eccentricity distribution of eclipsingbinary stars from Kepler. We find that ˜ 72% of EBs below ˜ 11 days are very circularized, where as ˜ 87% of EBs above ˜ 11 days can take on a wide range in eccentricity values including some with significant eccentricities.

We report the discovery of a new totally eclipsingbinary (R.A. = {06}{{h}}{40}{{m}}{29}{{s}}11; decl. = +38°56‧52″2 J = 2000.0; Rmax = 17.2 mag) with an sdO primary and a strongly irradiated red dwarf companion. It has an orbital period of Porb = 0.187284394(11) day and an optical eclipse depth in excess of 5 mag. We obtained 2 low-resolution classification spectra with GTC/OSIRIS and 10 medium-resolution spectra with WHT/ISIS to constrain the properties of the binary members. The spectra are dominated by H Balmer and He ii absorption lines from the sdO star, and phase-dependent emission lines from the irradiated companion. A combined spectroscopic and light curve analysis implies a hot subdwarf temperature of Teff(spec) = 55,000 ± 3000 K, surface gravity of log g (phot) = 6.2 ± 0.04 (cgs), and a He abundance of {log}(n{He}/n{{H}})=-2.24+/- 0.40. The hot sdO star irradiates the red dwarf companion, heating its substellar point to about 22,500 K. Surface parameters for the companion are difficult to constrain from the currently available data: the most remarkable features are the strong H Balmer and C ii-iii lines in emission. Radial velocity estimates are consistent with the sdO+dM classification. The photometric data do not show any indication of sdO pulsations with amplitudes greater than 7 mmag, and Hα-filter images do not provide evidence for the presence of a planetary nebula associated with the sdO star.

We combine Kepler photometry with ground-based spectra to present a comprehensive dynamical model of the double red giant eclipsingbinary KIC 9246715. While the two stars are very similar in mass ({M}1={2.171}-0.008+0.006 {M}⊙ , {M}2={2.149}-0.008+0.006 {M}⊙ ) and radius ({R}1={8.37}-0.07+0.03 {R}⊙ , {R}2={8.30}-0.03+0.04 {R}⊙ ), an asteroseismic analysis finds one main set of solar-like oscillations with unusually low-amplitude, wide modes. A second set of oscillations from the other star may exist, but this marginal detection is extremely faint. Because the two stars are nearly twins, KIC 9246715 is a difficult target for a precise test of the asteroseismic scaling relations, which yield M = 2.17 ± 0.14 M⊙ and R = 8.26 ± 0.18 R⊙. Both stars are consistent with the inferred asteroseismic properties, but we suspect the main oscillator is Star 2 because it is less active than Star 1. We find evidence for stellar activity and modest tidal forces acting over the 171 day eccentric orbit, which are likely responsible for the essential lack of solar-like oscillations in one star and weak oscillations in the other. Mixed modes indicate the main oscillating star is on the secondary red clump (a core-He-burning star), and stellar evolution modeling supports this with a coeval history for a pair of red clump stars. This system is a useful case study and paves the way for a detailed analysis of more red giants in eclipsingbinaries, an important benchmark for asteroseismology.

NSVS 02502726 has been known as a double-lined, detached eclipsingbinary that consists of two low-mass stars. We obtained BVRI photometric follow-up observations in 2009 and 2011 to measure improved physical properties of the binary star. Each set of light curves, including the 2008 data given by Cakirli et al., was simultaneously analyzed with the previously published radial velocity curves using the Wilson-Devinney binary code. The conspicuous seasonal light variations of the system are satisfactorily modeled by a two-spot model with one starspot on each component and by changes of the spot parameters with time. Based on 23 eclipse timings calculated from the synthetic model and one ephemeris epoch, an orbital period study of NSVS 02502726 reveals that the period has experienced a continuous decrease of -5.9 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7} day yr{sup -1} or a sinusoidal variation with a period and semi-amplitude of 2.51 yr and 0.0011 days, respectively. The timing variations could be interpreted as either the light-travel-time effect due to the presence of an unseen third body, or as the combination of this effect and angular momentum loss via magnetic stellar wind braking. Individual masses and radii of both components are determined to be M{sub 1} = 0.689 {+-} 0.016 M{sub Sun }, M{sub 2} = 0.341 {+-} 0.009 M{sub Sun }, R{sub 1} = 0.707 {+-} 0.007 R{sub Sun }, and R{sub 2} = 0.657 {+-} 0.008 R{sub Sun }. The results are very different from those of Cakirli et al. with the primary's radius (0.674 {+-} 0.006 R{sub Sun }) smaller the secondary's (0.763 {+-} 0.007 R{sub Sun }). We compared the physical parameters presented in this paper with current low-mass stellar models and found that the measured values of the primary star are best fitted to a 79 Myr isochrone. The primary is in good agreement with the empirical mass-radius relation from low-mass binaries, but the secondary is oversized by about 85%.

We present our observations and initial analysis of BVRI light curves of the solar type, high contact binary, V802 Aquilae [GSC 5119 948, α (2000) = 18h 58m 54.82s, δ (2000) = -03° 01' 11.5"]. The observations were taken on the evenings of 5, 6 and 8 June 2002, by RGS and DRF with the 0.9-m reflector at CTIO. Standard UBVRcIc filters were used. We took from 138 to 148 observations in each BVRI pass band and about 100 in U. Mean epochs of minimum light for one primary eclipse, HJD = 2452431.82156 (81) as well as two secondary eclipses 2452434.89764 (11) and 2452432.75617 (21) were calculated. We calculated the following linear ephemeris: J.D. Hel Min I = 2450300.43417 (69) + 0.26769479 (11) d*E. (2) The light curves are shallow (0.35 mag in V) yet show a broad time of constant light (width about 0.1 phase) in the secondary eclipse. Its depressed primary maxima (about 0.06 mag in B) suggest the presence of heavy spot activity. Our Wilson code BVRI simultaneous solution of the instrumental magnitude light curves yields a mass ratio of M2/M1 = 0.16, and a fill-out 32.7 %. The temperature difference is T2-T1 = 136 K with the tiny secondary component having the higher mean surface temperature. A 20.2° cool spot was modeled on the primary component. Its longitude, co-latitude and temperature factor were 281° , 67° , and 0.915 respectively. Further results are presented. The system is a part of a rare group of binaries with a very low mass secondary and high mass ratio that are near a phase of final coalescence into an FK Comae type star. Much of the work was done by an undergraduate student, MWM. We wish to thank Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory for their allocation of observing time, and the grant from NASA administered by the American Astronomical Society.

We report our discovery of an extremely rare, low-mass, quadruple-lined spectroscopic binary BD -22 5866 (=NLTT 53279, integrated spectral type = M0 V), found during an ongoing search for the youngest M dwarfs in the solar neighborhood. From the cross-correlation function, we are able to measure relative flux levels, estimate the spectral types of the components, and set upper limits on the orbital periods and separations. The resulting system is hierarchical, composed of a K7 + K7 binary and an M1 + M2 binary with semimajor axes of aAsin iA <= 0.06 and aBsin iB <= 0.30 AU. A subsequent search of the SuperWASP photometric database revealed that the K7 + K7 binary is eclipsing with a period of 2.21 days and at an inclination angle of 85°. Within uncertainties of 5%, the masses and radii of both components appear to be equal (0.59 M⊙, 0.61 R⊙). These two tightly orbiting stars (a = 0.035 AU) are in synchronous rotation, causing the observed excess Ca II, Hα, X-ray, and UV emission. The fact that the system was unresolved with published adaptive optics imaging, limits the projected physical separation of the two binaries at the time of the observation to dABlesssim 4.1 AU at the photometric distance of 51 pc. The maximum observed radial velocity difference between the A and B binaries limits the orbit to aABsin iAB <= 6.1 AU. As this tight configuration is difficult to reproduce with current formation models of multiple systems, we speculate that an early dynamical process reduced the size of the system, such as the interaction of the two binaries with a circumquadruple disk. Intensive photometric, spectroscopic, and interferometric monitoring, as well as a parallax measurement of this rare quadruple system, is certainly warranted. Based on observations collected at the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The Keck Observatory is operated as a scientific partnership between the California Institute of Technology, the University

Aims: Our aim is to precisely measure the physical parameters of the eclipsingbinary IO Aqr and derive a distance to this system by applying a surface brightness - colour relation. Our motivation is to combine these parameters with future precise distance determinations from the Gaia space mission to derive precise surface brightness - colour relations for stars. Methods: We extensively used photometry from the Super-WASP and ASAS projects and precise radial velocities obtained from HARPS and CORALIE high-resolution spectra. We analysed light curves with the code JKTEBOP and radial velocity curves with the Wilson-Devinney program. Results: We found that IO Aqr is a hierarchical triple system consisting of a double-lined short-period (P = 2.37 d) spectroscopic binary and a low-luminosity and low-mass companion star orbiting the binary with a period of ≳25 000 d (≳70 yr) on a very eccentric orbit. We derive high-precision (better than 1%) physical parameters of the inner binary, which is composed of two slightly evolved main-sequence stars (F5 V-IV + F6 V-IV) with masses of M1 = 1.569 ± 0.004 and M2 = 1.655 ± 0.004 M⊙ and radii R1 = 2.19 ± 0.02 and R2 = 2.49 ± 0.02 R⊙. The companion is most probably a late K-type dwarf with mass ≈0.6 M⊙. The distance to the system resulting from applying a () surface brightness - colour relation is 255 ± 6 (stat.) ± 6 (sys.) pc, which agrees well with the Hipparcos value of 270+91-55 pc, but is more precise by a factor of eight.

A deeply eclipsing cataclysmic variable, with an orbital period of 4.75 hr, has been discovered in the southern Edinburgh-Cape Blue Object Survey. The star, EC 19314 - 5915, lies close to the positional constraints of a previously unidentified HEAO-1 hard X-ray source, 1H1930 - 5989. Its optical spectrum is unusual in that it shows, apart from the emission lines characteristic of a novalike, or dwarf nova cataclysmic variable (Balmer, He I and He II), metallic absorption lines typical of a late-G star. The individual time-resolved spectra, with the tertiary absorption lines removed, show absorption reversals in the Balmer emission lines, increasing in strength for the higher series. The Balmer emission radial velocities are therefore severely distorted in comparison to the He II 4686-A emission and He I 4471-A absorption radial velocity curves. An independent distance estimate of about 600 pc is derived for EC19314 - 5915, from the spectroscopic parallax of the third star.

The Atlas contains data for 1,138 eclipsingbinaries represented by 91,798 minima timings, collected from the usual international and local journals, observatory publications and unpublished minima. Among this source material there is a considerable representation of amateur astronomers. Some timings were found in the card-index catalogue of the Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University, Cracow. Stars were included in the Atlas provided that they satisfied 3 criteria: (1) at least 20 minima had been times; (2) these minima spanned at least 2,500 cycles; and (3) the 2,500 cycles represented no fewer than 40 years. Some additional stars not strictly satisfying these criteria were also included if useful information was available. For each star, the Atlas contains the (O-C) diagram calculated by the authors and a table of general information containing: binary characteristics; assorted catalogue numbers; the statistics of the collected minima timings; the light elements (light ephemeris); comments and literature references. All of the data and diagrams in the Atlas are also available in electronic form on the Internet at http://www.as.ap.krakow.pl/o- c".

The Cygnus OB2 Association is one of the nearest and largest collections of massive stars in the Galaxy. Situated at the heart of the “Cygnus X” complex of star-forming regions and molecular clouds, its distance has proven elusive owing to the ambiguous nature of kinematic distances along this ℓ ≃ 80° sightline and the heavy, patchy extinction. In an effort to refine the three-dimensional geometry of key Cygnus X constituents, we have measured distances to four eclipsing double-lined OB-type spectroscopic binaries that are probable members of Cyg OB2. We find distances of 1.33 ± 0.17, 1.32 ± 0.07, 1.44 ± 0.18, and 1.32 ± 0.13 kpc toward MT91 372, MT91 696, CPR2002 A36, and Schulte 3, respectively. We adopt a weighted average distance of 1.33 ± 0.06 kpc. This agrees well with spectrophotometric estimates for the Association as a whole and with parallax measurements of protostellar masers in the surrounding interstellar clouds, thereby linking the ongoing star formation in these clouds with Cyg OB2. We also identify Schulte 3C (O9.5V), a 4″ visual companion to the 4.75 day binary Schulte 3(A+B), as a previously unrecognized Association member.

Among the 19 red-giant stars belonging to eclipsingbinary systems that have been identified in Kepler data, 15 display solar-like oscillations. We study whether the absence of mode detection in the remaining 4 is an observational bias or possibly evidence of mode damping that originates from tidal interactions. A careful analysis of the corresponding Kepler light curves shows that modes with amplitudes that are usually observed in red giants would have been detected if they were present. We observe that mode depletion is strongly associated with short-period systems, in which stellar radii account for 16%-24% of the semi-major axis, and where red-giant surface activity is detected. We suggest that when the rotational and orbital periods synchronize in close binaries, the red-giant component is spun up, so that a dynamo mechanism starts and generates a magnetic field, leading to observable stellar activity. Pressure modes would then be damped as acoustic waves dissipate in these fields.

We present the results of a spectroscopic, photometric and orbital period variation analysis of the detached eclipsingbinary V482 Per. We derived the absolute parameters of the system (M1 = 1.51 M⊙, M2 = 1.29 M⊙, R1 = 2.39 R⊙, R2 = 1.45 R⊙, L1 = 10.15 L⊙, L2 = 3.01 L⊙) for the first time in literature, based on an analysis of our own photometric and spectroscopic observations. We confirm the nature of the variations observed in the system's orbital period, suggested to be periodic by earlier works. A light time effect due to a physically bound, star-sized companion (M3 = 2.14 M⊙) on a highly eccentric (e = 0.83) orbit, seems to be the most likely cause. We argue that the companion can not be a single star but another binary instead. We calculated the evolutionary states of the system's components, and we found that the primary is slightly evolving after the main sequence, while the less massive secondary lies well inside it.

The Kepler light curve of KIC 4739791 exhibits partial eclipses, the inverse O’Connell effect, and multiperiodic pulsations. Including a starspot on either of the binary components, the light-curve synthesis indicates that KIC 4739791 is in detached or semi-detached configuration with both a short orbital period and a low mass ratio. Multiple frequency analyses were performed in the light residuals after subtracting the binarity effects from the original Kepler data. We detected 14 frequencies: 6 in the low-frequency region (0.1-2.3 days-1) and 8 in the high-frequency region (18.2-22.0 days-1). Among these, six high frequencies with amplitudes of 0.62-1.97 mmag were almost constant over time for 200 days. Their pulsation periods and pulsation constants are in the ranges of 0.048-0.054 days and 0.025-0.031 days, respectively. In contrast, the other frequencies may arise from the alias effects caused by the orbital frequency or combination frequencies. We propose that KIC 4739791 is a short-period R CMa binary with the lowest mass ratio in the known classical Algols and that its primary component is a δ Sct pulsating star. Only four R CMa stars have been identified, three of which exhibit δ Sct-type oscillations. These findings make KIC 4739791 an attractive target for studies of stellar interior structure and evolution.

We obtained the first VRI CCD light curves of the short-period contact eclipsingbinary AQ Boo, which was observed on March 22 and April 19 in 2014 at Xinglong station of National Astronomical Observatories, and on January 20, 21 and February 28 in 2015 at Kunming station of Yunnan Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Using our six newly obtained minima and the minima that other authors obtained previously, we revised the ephemeris of AQ Boo. By fitting the O-C (observed minus calculated) values of the minima, the orbital period of AQ Boo shows a decreasing tendency P˙ = - 1.47(0.17) ×10-7 days/year. We interpret the phenomenon by mass transfer from the secondary (more massive) component to the primary (less massive) one. By using the updated Wilson & Devinney program, we also derived the photometric orbital parameters of AQ Boo for the first time. We conclude that AQ Boo is a near contact binary with a low contact factor of 14.43%, and will become an over-contact system as the mass transfer continues.

We present a time-series BV CCD photometry for an EB-type eclipsingbinary NSVS 1908107, a member of the young open cluster NGC 869. The photometric solution was obtained by using the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney code. It reveals that the system is a semi-detached binary with the secondary component filling its Roche lobe. The mass ratio was determined to be 0.059±0.001. With the physical parameters of the cluster, the masses, radii and luminosities of the two components of NSVS 1908107 are estimated to be M 1 = 10.34±2.29 M ⊙, R 1 = 4.65±0.34 R ⊙, L 1 = 8076±371 L ⊙ and M 2 = 0.61±0.13 M ⊙, R 2 = 2.40±0.17 R ⊙, L 2 = 1054±48 L ⊙ respectively. The results show that the secondary component could be a giant or subgiant star with the outer envelope being stripped.

Context. The eclipsingbinary GU Mon is located in the star-forming cluster Dolidze 25, which has the lowest metallicity measured in a Milky Way young cluster. Aims: GU Mon has been identified as a short-period eclipsingbinary with two early B-type components. We set out to derive its orbital and stellar parameters. Methods: We present a comprehensive analysis, including B and V light curves and 11 high-resolution spectra, to verify the orbital period and determine parameters. We used the stellar atmosphere code FASTWIND to obtain stellar parameters and create templates for cross-correlation. We obtained a model to fit the light and radial-velocity curves using the Wilson-Devinney code iteratively and simultaneously. Results: The two components of GU Mon are identical stars of spectral type B1 V with the same mass and temperature. The light curves are typical of an EW-type binary. The spectroscopic and photometric analyses agree on a period of 0.896640 ± 0.000007 d. We determine a mass of 9.0 ± 0.6 M⊙ for each component and for temperatures of 28 000 ± 2000 K. Both values are consistent with the spectral type. The two stars are overfilling their respective Roche lobes, sharing a common envelope and, therefore the orbit is synchronised and circularised. Conclusions: The GU Mon system has a fill-out factor above 0.8, containing two dwarf B-type stars on the main sequence. The two stars are in a very advanced stage of interaction, with their extreme physical similarity likely due to the common envelope. The expected evolution of such a system very probably leads to a merger while still on the main sequence. Photometry tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/590/A45

Detached eclipsingbinary stars with convective cores provide a good tool to investigate convective core overshoot. It has been performed on some binary stars to restrict the classical overshoot model which simply extends the boundary of the fully mixed region. However, the classical overshoot model is physically unreasonable and inconsistent with helioseismic investigations. An updated model of overshoot mixing was established recently. There is a key parameter in the model. In this paper, we use observations of four eclipsingbinary stars, i.e., HY Vir, YZ Cas, χ2 Hya, and VV Crv, to investigate a suitable value for the parameter. It is found that the value suggested by calibrations on eclipsingbinary stars is the same as the value recommended by other methods. In addition, we have studied the effects of the updated overshoot model on the stellar structure. The diffusion coefficient of convective/overshoot mixing is very high in the convection zone, then quickly decreases near the convective boundary, and exponentially decreases in the overshoot region. The low value of the diffusion coefficient in the overshoot region leads to weak mixing and a partially mixed overshoot region. Semi-convection, which appears in the standard stellar models of low-mass stars with convective cores, is removed by partial overshoot mixing.

Aims: We searched the SuperWASP archive for objects that display multiply periodic photometric variations. Methods: Specifically we sought evidence for eclipsingbinary stars that display a further non-harmonically related signal in their power spectra. Results: The object 1SWASP J050634.16-353648.4 has been identified as a relatively bright (V ~ 11.5) semi-detached eclipsingbinary with a 5.104 d orbital period that displays coherent pulsations with a semi-amplitude of 65 mmag at a frequency of 13.45 d-1. Follow-up radial velocity spectroscopy with the Southern African Large Telescope confirmed the binary nature of the system. Using the phoebe code to model the radial velocity curve with the SuperWASP photometry enabled parameters of both stellar components to be determined. This yielded a primary (pulsating) star with a mass of 1.73 ± 0.11 M⊙ and a radius of 2.41 ± 0.06 R⊙, as well as a Roche-lobe filling secondary star with a mass of 0.41 ± 0.03 M⊙ and a radius of 4.21 ± 0.11 R⊙. Conclusions: 1SWASP J050634.16-353648.4 is therefore a bright δ Sct pulsator in a semi-detached eclipsingbinary with one of the largest pulsation amplitudes of any such system known. The pulsation constant indicates that the mode is likely a first overtone radial pulsation.

The mass transfer in close binaries has been identified as the most probable formation channel for field blue straggler stars (BSSs). The companions to these BSSs are white dwarf stars (WDs) and can be detected at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths in the spectral energy distribution of the binary, if the mass transfer happened recently so that WD is young and hot.We chose a sample of 2,188 BSSs in the temperature range of 7,000 - 9000 K. and surface gravity, Log g > 3.8, using the Sloan Stellar Parameter Pipeline, from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).From this, a sub-sample of 80 UV excess field BSSs were identified using UV photometry from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). By using a chi-square minimization technique we fit the observed SED of these UVe-BSSs to set of combined BS+WD models to find the best fitting WD parameters. By considering our fitting results and the theoretical estimates of mass-temperature relation for BSSs , we find that the likely companions to our sample of UVe-BSSs are He WDs. This means that the most likely scenario of formation of these UVe-BSSs is mass transfer onto a normal main sequence star from a red giant star.

Eclipsingbinaries (EBs) provide critical laboratories for empirically testing predictions of theoretical models of stellar structure and evolution. Pre-main-sequence (PMS) EBs are particularly valuable, both due to their rarity and the highly dynamic nature of PMS evolution, such that a dense grid of PMS EBs is required to properly calibrate theoretical PMS models. Analyzing multi-epoch, multi-color light curves for {approx}2400 candidate Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) members from our Warm Spitzer Exploration Science Program YSOVAR, we have identified 12 stars whose light curves show eclipse features. Four of these 12 EBs are previously known. Supplementing our light curves with follow-up optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, we establish two of the candidates as likely field EBs lying behind the ONC. We confirm the remaining six candidate systems, however, as newly identified ONC PMS EBs. These systems increase the number of known PMS EBs by over 50% and include the highest mass ({theta}{sup 1} Ori E, for which we provide a complete set of well-determined parameters including component masses of 2.807 and 2.797 M{sub Sun }) and longest-period (ISOY J053505.71-052354.1, P {approx} 20 days) PMS EBs currently known. In two cases ({theta}{sup 1} Ori E and ISOY J053526.88-044730.7), enough photometric and spectroscopic data exist to attempt an orbit solution and derive the system parameters. For the remaining systems, we combine our data with literature information to provide a preliminary characterization sufficient to guide follow-up investigations of these rare, benchmark systems.

The short-period (1.64 d) near-contact eclipsing WN6+O9 binary system CQ Cep provides an ideal laboratory for testing the predictions of X-ray colliding wind shock theory at close separation where the winds may not have reached terminal speeds before colliding. We present results of a Chandra X-ray observation of CQ Cep spanning ∼1 day during which a simultaneous Chandra optical light curve was acquired. Our primary objective was to compare the observed X-ray properties with colliding wind shock theory, which predicts that the hottest shock plasma (T ≳ 20 MK) will form on or near the line-of-centers between the stars. The X-ray spectrum is strikingly similar to apparently single WN6 stars such as WR 134 and spectral lines reveal plasma over a broad range of temperatures T ∼ 4-40 MK. A deep optical eclipse was seen as the O star passed in front of the Wolf-Rayet star and we determine an orbital period P {sub orb} = 1.6412400 d. Somewhat surprisingly, no significant X-ray variability was detected. This implies that the hottest X-ray plasma is not confined to the region between the stars, at odds with the colliding wind picture and suggesting that other X-ray production mechanisms may be at work. Hydrodynamic simulations that account for such effects as radiative cooling and orbital motion will be needed to determine if the new Chandra results can be reconciled with the colliding wind picture.

The short-period (1.64 d) near-contact eclipsing WN6+O9 binary system CQ Cep provides an ideal laboratory for testing the predictions of X-ray colliding wind shock theory at close separation where the winds may not have reached terminal speeds before colliding. We present results of a Chandra X-ray observation of CQ Cep spanning ~1 day during which a simultaneous Chandra optical light curve was acquired. Our primary objective was to compare the observed X-ray properties with colliding wind shock theory, which predicts that the hottest shock plasma (T >~ 20 MK) will form on or near the line-of-centers between the stars. The X-ray spectrum is strikingly similar to apparently single WN6 stars such as WR 134 and spectral lines reveal plasma over a broad range of temperatures T ~ 4-40 MK. A deep optical eclipse was seen as the O star passed in front of the Wolf-Rayet star and we determine an orbital period P orb = 1.6412400 d. Somewhat surprisingly, no significant X-ray variability was detected. This implies that the hottest X-ray plasma is not confined to the region between the stars, at odds with the colliding wind picture and suggesting that other X-ray production mechanisms may be at work. Hydrodynamic simulations that account for such effects as radiative cooling and orbital motion will be needed to determine if the new Chandra results can be reconciled with the colliding wind picture.

We present a study of PSR J1723–2837, an eclipsing, 1.86 ms millisecond binary radio pulsar discovered in the Parkes Multibeam survey. Radio timing indicates that the pulsar has a circular orbit with a 15 hr orbital period, a low-mass companion, and a measurable orbital period derivative. The eclipse fraction of ∼15% during the pulsar's orbit is twice the Roche lobe size inferred for the companion. The timing behavior is significantly affected by unmodeled systematics of astrophysical origin, and higher-order orbital period derivatives are needed in the timing solution to account for these variations. We have identified the pulsar's (non-degenerate) companion using archival ultraviolet, optical, and infrared survey data and new optical photometry. Doppler shifts from optical spectroscopy confirm the star's association with the pulsar and indicate a pulsar-to-companion mass ratio of 3.3 ± 0.5, corresponding to a companion mass range of 0.4 to 0.7 M{sub ☉} and an orbital inclination angle range of between 30° and 41°, assuming a pulsar mass range of 1.4-2.0 M{sub ☉}. Spectroscopy indicates a spectral type of G for the companion and an inferred Roche-lobe-filling distance that is consistent with the distance estimated from radio dispersion. The features of PSR J1723–2837 indicate that it is likely a 'redback' system. Unlike the five other Galactic redbacks discovered to date, PSR J1723–2837 has not been detected as a γ-ray source with Fermi. This may be due to an intrinsic spin-down luminosity that is much smaller than the measured value if the unmeasured contribution from proper motion is large.

Eclipsingbinary stars are especially valuable for studies of stellar evolution. If pulsating components are also present then the stellar interior can be studied using asteroseismology techniques. We present photometric data and the analysis of the delta Scuti pulsations that we have discovered in five eclipsingbinary systems. The systems are: LT Herculis, RZ Microscopii, LY Puppis, V632 Scorpii and V638 Scorpii. The dominant pulsation frequencies range between 13 - 29 cycles per day with semi-amplitudes of 4 - 20 millimagnitudes.

Helioseismic investigation has suggested applying turbulent convection models (TCMs) to convective overshoot. Using the turbulent velocity in the overshoot region determined by a TCM, one can deal with overshoot mixing as a diffusion process, which leads to incomplete mixing. It has been found that this treatment can improve solar sound speed and Li depletion in open clusters. In order to investigate whether the TCM can be applied to overshoot mixing outside the stellar convective core, new observations of the eclipsingbinary star HY Vir are adopted to calibrate the overshoot mixing parameter. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the solar TCM parameters and overshoot mixing parameter are also suitable for the eclipsingbinary system HY Vir, (2) the incomplete mixing results in a continuous profile of hydrogen abundance, and (3) the e-folding length of the region, in which the hydrogen abundance changes due to overshoot mixing, increases during stellar evolution.

Context: The properties of the early-type binary Cyg OB2 #5 have been debated for many years and spectroscopic and photometric investigations yielded conflicting results. Aims: We have attempted to constrain the physical properties of the binary by collecting new optical and X-ray observations. Methods: The optical light curves obtained with narrow-band continuum and line-bearing filters are analysed and compared. Optical spectra are used to map the location of the He ii λ 4686 and Hα line-emission regions in velocity space. New XMM-Newton as well as archive X-ray spectra are analysed to search for variability and constrain the properties of the hot plasma in this system. Results: We find that the orbital period of the system slowly changes though we are unable to discriminate between several possible explanations of this trend. The best fit solution of the continuum light curve reveals a contact configuration with the secondary star being significantly brighter and hotter on its leading side facing the primary. The mean temperature of the secondary star turns out to be only slightly lower than that of the primary, whilst the bolometric luminosity ratio is found to be 3.1. The solution of the light curve yields a distance of 925 ± 25 pc much lower than the usually assumed distance of the Cyg OB2 association. Whilst we confirm the existence of episodes of higher X-ray fluxes, the data reveal no phase-locked modulation with the 6.6 day period of the eclipsingbinary nor any clear relation between the X-ray flux and the 6.7 yr radio cycle. Conclusions: The bright region of the secondary star is probably heated by energy transfer in a common envelope in this contact binary system as well as by the collision with the primary's wind. The existence of a common photosphere probably also explains the odd mass-luminosity relation of the stars in this system. Most of the X-ray, non-thermal radio, and possibly γ-ray emission of Cyg OB2 #5 is likely to arise from the

We have identified four new eclipsingbinary members of the Pleiades and Hyades in the K2 Field 4 data.For one of those stars, where radial velocities are available, we report a complete SB1/EB orbital fit to the data.For the other EB candidates, we describe the information we have derived from the K2 light curve and what is known about the stars from the published literature.

We describe a new neural-net-based light curve classifier and provide it with documentation as a ready-to-use tool for the community. While optimized for identification and classification of eclipsingbinary stars, the classifier is general purpose, and has been developed for speed in the context of upcoming massive surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. A challenge for classifiers in the context of neural-net training and massive data sets is to minimize the number of parameters required to describe each light curve. We show that a simple and fast geometric representation that encodes the overall light curve shape, together with a chi-square parameter to capture higher-order morphology information results in efficient yet robust light curve classification, especially for eclipsingbinaries. Testing the classifier on the ASAS light curve database, we achieve a retrieval rate of 98% and a false-positive rate of 2% for eclipsingbinaries. We achieve similarly high retrieval rates for most other periodic variable-star classes, including RR Lyrae, Mira, and delta Scuti. However, the classifier currently has difficulty discriminating between different sub-classes of eclipsingbinaries, and suffers a relatively low (∼60%) retrieval rate for multi-mode delta Cepheid stars. We find that it is imperative to train the classifier's neural network with exemplars that include the full range of light curve quality to which the classifier will be expected to perform; the classifier performs well on noisy light curves only when trained with noisy exemplars. The classifier source code, ancillary programs, a trained neural net, and a guide for use, are provided.

Photometric light curves of the detached eclipsingbinary V1094 Tau in the Stroemgren u-,v-,b- and y-bands, and in the Johnson V-band. The curves in the Stroemgren bands were obtained with the Stroemgren Automatic Telescope (SAT) at ESO, La Silla. The curves in the V-band were obtained with the NFO telescope in New Mexico and with the URSA telescope at the University of Arkansas. (6 data files).

We describe a new neural-net-based light curve classifier and provide it with documentation as a ready-to-use tool for the community. While optimized for identification and classification of eclipsingbinary stars, the classifier is general purpose, and has been developed for speed in the context of upcoming massive surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. A challenge for classifiers in the context of neural-net training and massive data sets is to minimize the number of parameters required to describe each light curve. We show that a simple and fast geometric representation that encodes the overall light curve shape, together with a chi-square parameter to capture higher-order morphology information results in efficient yet robust light curve classification, especially for eclipsingbinaries. Testing the classifier on the ASAS light curve database, we achieve a retrieval rate of 98% and a false-positive rate of 2% for eclipsingbinaries. We achieve similarly high retrieval rates for most other periodic variable-star classes, including RR Lyrae, Mira, and delta Scuti. However, the classifier currently has difficulty discriminating between different sub-classes of eclipsingbinaries, and suffers a relatively low (~60%) retrieval rate for multi-mode delta Cepheid stars. We find that it is imperative to train the classifier's neural network with exemplars that include the full range of light curve quality to which the classifier will be expected to perform; the classifier performs well on noisy light curves only when trained with noisy exemplars. The classifier source code, ancillary programs, a trained neural net, and a guide for use, are provided.

We report the detection of eclipses in LSPM J1112+7626, which we find to be a moderately bright (I{sub C} = 12.14 {+-} 0.05) very low mass binary system with an orbital period of 41.03236 {+-} 0.00002 days, and component masses M{sub 1} = 0.395 {+-} 0.002 M{sub Sun} and M{sub 2} = 0.275 {+-} 0.001 M{sub Sun} in an eccentric (e = 0.239 {+-} 0.002) orbit. A 65 day out-of-eclipse modulation of approximately 2% peak-to-peak amplitude is seen in I-band, which is probably due to rotational modulation of photospheric spots on one of the binary components. This paper presents the discovery and characterization of the object, including radial velocities sufficient to determine both component masses to better than 1% precision, and a photometric solution. We find that the sum of the component radii, which is much better determined than the individual radii, is inflated by 3.8{sup +0.9}{sub -0.5}% compared to the theoretical model predictions, depending on the age and metallicity assumed. These results demonstrate that the difficulties in reproducing observed M-dwarf eclipsingbinary radii with theoretical models are not confined to systems with very short orbital periods. This object promises to be a fruitful testing ground for the hypothesized link between inflated radii in M-dwarfs and activity.

High precision BVRcIc light curves of NSVS 5066754 were observed on May 17-20, 2014 at Dark Sky Observatory in North Carolina with the 0.81-m reflector of Appalachian State University. It is a solar type eclipsingbinary (T1~5750 K) with a period of only 0.375132 (1) d. In fact, it appeared as one of the shortest period in Shaw’s list of near contact binaries. Therefore, we initially believed this to be a pre-contact WUMa Binary (PCWB’s). However, the Binary Maker fits and our Wilson-Devinney solutions show that the binary could have either a semi-detached or a contact binary configuration.Five times of minimum light were calculated, for 3 primary and 2 secondary eclipses from our present observations: In addition, observations at minima were introduced from archived All Sky Automated Survey Data along with the discovery ephemeris. The following decreasing quadratic ephemeris was determined from all available times of minimum light:JDHelMinI=2456797.63848±0.00047d + 0.3747796± 0. 0000068 X E --0.0000000241± 0.0000000005X E2Our contact solution, with a sum of square residuals = 0.49, gave a mass ratio of 0.50, and a component temperature difference of ~360 K, somewhat large for a contact binary. Two substantial cool spots were determined in this solution of 37 deg and 28 deg radius with a t-factor or 0.92 and 0.78 respectively. The fill-out is very shallow, ~6%.The semi-detached solution (mode 4: V1010 Oph configuration, meaning the system is approaching first contact) is of poorer quality with a sum of square residuals = 0.87. It has a mass ratio of 0.63, and a component temperature of ~460 K. The fill-outs are 100% and 97% for the primary and secondary components, respectively. Two spots were determined, one hot (t-factor of 1.16, 14 deg radius, colatitude 101 deg) and one cool spot (t-factor of 0.94, 48 deg radius, colatitude 90 deg). The models in both cases are total eclipsing with high inclinations in the 86-89 deg range, and a time of constant light is

Context. To add to the growing collection of well-studied double periodic variables (DPVs) we have carried out the first spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the eclipsingbinary DQ Velorum to obtain its main physical stellar and orbital parameters. Aims: Combining spectroscopic and photometric observations that cover several orbital cycles allows us to estimate the stellar properties of the binary components and the orbital parameters. We also searched for circumstellar material around the more massive star. Methods: We separated DQ Velorum composite spectra and measured radial velocities with an iterative method for double spectroscopic binaries. We obtained the radial velocity curves and calculated the spectroscopic mass ratio. We compared our single-lined spectra with a grid of synthetic spectra and estimated the temperature of the stars. We modeled the V-band light curve with a fitting method based on the simplex algorithm, which includes an accretion disc. To constrain the main stellar parameters we fixed the mass ratio and donor temperature to the values obtained by our spectroscopic analysis. Results: We obtain a spectroscopic mass ratio q = 0.31 ± 0.03 together with donor and gainer masses Md = 2.2 ± 0.2 M⊙, Mg = 7.3 ± 0.3 M⊙, the radii Rd = 8.4 ± 0.2 R⊙, Rg = 3.6 ± 0.2 R⊙ and temperatures Td = 9400 ± 100 K, Tg = 18 500 ± 500 K for the stellar components. We find that DQ Vel is a semi-detached system consisting of a B3V gainer and an A1III donor star plus an extended accretion disc around the gainer. The disc is filling 89% of the gainer Roche lobe with a temperature of 6580 ± 300 K at the outer radius. It has a concave shape that is thicker at its edge (de = 0.6 ± 0.1 R⊙) than at its centre (dc = 0.3 ± 0.1 R⊙). We find a significant sub-orbital frequency of 0.19 d-1 in the residuals of the V-band light curve, which we interpret as a pulsation of an slowly pulsating B-type (SPB) of a gainer star. We also estimate the distance to

Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are extreme horizontal branch stars believed to originate from close binary evolution. Indeed about half of the known sdB stars are found in close binaries with periods ranging from a few hours to a few days. The enormous mass loss required to remove the hydrogen envelope of the red-giant progenitor almost entirely can be explained by common envelope ejection. A rare subclass of these binaries are the eclipsing HW Vir binaries where the sdB is orbited by a dwarf M star. Here, we report the discovery of an HW Vir system in the course of the MUCHFUSS project. A most likely substellar object ({approx_equal}0.068 M{sub sun}) was found to orbit the hot subdwarf J08205+0008 with a period of 0.096 days. Since the eclipses are total, the system parameters are very well constrained. J08205+0008 has the lowest unambiguously measured companion mass yet found in a subdwarf B binary. This implies that the most likely substellar companion has not only survived the engulfment by the red-giant envelope, but also triggered its ejection and enabled the sdB star to form. The system provides evidence that brown dwarfs may indeed be able to significantly affect late stellar evolution.

We present the physical properties of the semi-detached Algol-type eclipsingbinary Y Cam based on high resolution spectra obtained using the Bohyunsan Optical Echelle Spectrograph. This is the first spectroscopic monitoring data obtained for this interesting binary system, which has a δ Sct-type pulsating component. We obtained a total of 59 spectra over 14 nights from 2009 December to 2011 March. Double-lined spectral features from the hot primary and cool secondary components were well identified. We determined the effective temperatures of the two stars to be Teff,1 = 8000 ± 250 K and Teff,2 = 4629 ± 150 K. The projected rotational velocities are v1sin i1 = 51 ± 4 km s-1 and v2sin i2 = 50 ± 10 km s-1, which are very similar to a synchronous rotation with the orbital motion. Physical parameters of each component were derived by analyzing our radial velocity data together with previous photometric light curves from the literature. The masses and radii are M1 = 2.08 ± 0.09 M⊙, M2 = 0.48 ± 0.03 M⊙, R1 = 3.14 ± 0.05 R⊙, and R2 = 3.33 ± 0.05 R⊙, respectively. A comparison of these parameters with the theoretical evolution tracks showed that the primary component is located between the zero-age main sequence and the terminal-age main sequence, while the low-mass secondary is noticeably evolved. This indicates that the two components have experienced mass exchange with each other and the primary has undergone an evolution process different from that of single δ Sct-type pulsators.

As part of a larger program aimed at better quantifying the uncertainties in stellar computations, we attempt to calibrate the extent of convective overshooting in low to intermediate mass stars by means of eclipsingbinary systems. We model 12 such systems, with component masses between 1.3 and 6.2M⊙, using the detailed binary stellar evolution code STARS, producing grids of models in both metallicity and overshooting parameter. From these, we determine the best fit parameters for each of our systems. For three systems, none of our models produce a satisfactory fit. For the remaining systems, no single value for the convective overshooting parameter fits all the systems, but most of our systems can be well described with an overshooting parameter between 0.09 and 0.15, corresponding to an extension of the mixed region above the core of about 0.1-0.3 pressure scale heights. Of the nine systems where we are able to obtain a good fit, seven can be reasonably well fit with a single parameter of 0.15. We find no evidence for a trend of the extent of overshooting with either mass or metallicity, though the data set is of limited size. We repeat our calculations with a second evolution code, MESA, and we find general agreement between the two codes. The extension of the mixed region above the convective core required by the MESA models is about 0.15-0.4 pressure scale heights. For the system EI Cep, we find that MESA gives an overshooting region that is larger than the STARS one by about 0.1 pressure scale heights for the primary, while for the secondary the difference is only 0.05 pressure scale heights.

Brown dwarfs are considered to be 'failed stars' in the sense that they are born with masses between the least massive stars (0.072 solar masses, M(o)) and the most massive planets (approximately 0.013M(o)); they therefore serve as a critical link in our understanding of the formation of both stars and planets. Even the most fundamental physical properties of brown dwarfs remain, however, largely unconstrained by direct measurement. Here we report the discovery of a brown-dwarf eclipsingbinary system, in the Orion Nebula star-forming region, from which we obtain direct measurements of mass and radius for these newly formed brown dwarfs. Our mass measurements establish both objects as brown dwarfs, with masses of 0.054 +/- 0.005M(o) and 0.034 +/- 0.003M(o). At the same time, with radii relative to the Sun's of 0.669 +/- 0.034R(o) and 0.511 +/- 0.026R(o), these brown dwarfs are more akin to low-mass stars in size. Such large radii are generally consistent with theoretical predictions for young brown dwarfs in the earliest stages of gravitational contraction. Surprisingly, however, we find that the less-massive brown dwarf is the hotter of the pair; this result is contrary to the predictions of all current theoretical models of coeval brown dwarfs. PMID:16541067

KIC 9851944 is a short-period (P = 2.16 days) eclipsingbinary in the Kepler field of view. By combining the analysis of Kepler photometry and phase-resolved spectra from Kitt Peak National Observatory and Lowell Observatory, we determine the atmospheric and physical parameters of both stars. The two components have very different radii (2.27 R ⊙, 3.19 R ⊙) but close masses (1.76 M ⊙, 1.79 M ⊙) and effective temperatures (7026, 6902 K), indicating different evolutionary stages. The hotter primary is still on the main sequence (MS), while the cooler and larger secondary star has evolved to the post-MS, burning hydrogen in a shell. A comparison with coeval evolutionary models shows that it requires solar metallicity and a higher mass ratio to fit the radii and temperatures of both stars simultaneously. Both components show δ Scuti-type pulsations, which we interpret as p-modes and p and g mixed modes. After a close examination of the evolution of δ Scuti pulsational frequencies, we make a comparison of the observed frequencies with those calculated from MESA/GYRE.

NP Per is a well-detached, 2.2 day eclipsingbinary whose components are both pre-main-sequence stars that are still contracting toward the main-sequence phase of evolution. We report extensive photometric and spectroscopic observations with which we have determined their properties accurately. Their surface temperatures are quite different: 6420 ± 90 K for the larger F5 primary star and 4540 ± 160 K for the smaller K5e star. Their masses and radii are 1.3207 ± 0.0087 solar masses and 1.372 ± 0.013 solar radii for the primary, and 1.0456 ± 0.0046 solar masses and 1.229 ± 0.013 solar radii for the secondary. The orbital period is variable over long periods of time. A comparison of the observations with current stellar evolution models from MESA indicates that the stars cannot be fit at a single age: the secondary appears significantly younger than the primary. If the stars are assumed to be coeval and to have the age of the primary (17 Myr), then the secondary is larger and cooler than predicted by current models. The Hα spectral line of the secondary component is completely filled by, presumably, chromospheric emission due to a magnetic activity cycle.

CCD photometry of the eclipsing W Uma binary system V523 Cas in U, B, V and RC filters was carried out during eight nights in 2012. The physical and geometrical parameters of this system are obtained. A possible pulsation period of one of the components is obtained by analyzing the residuals of the ephemeris light curve. Our observations contain 16 times of minimum light. We combined these with all available published times of minimum. By fitting a quadratic curve to the O-C values, a new ephemeris of the system is calculated. By attributing the period change to mass transfer, we find a mass transfer rate of 4 ×10-12 M⊙/yr. Also, Period (80.58 yr) and the minimum mass (0.3 M⊙) of a possible third body is estimated. In addition, the possible existence of a fourth body with a mass of order 0.15 M⊙ is discussed. These third and fourth bodies could be low-mass main-sequence stars (red dwarfs).

We report the discovery of HAT-P-8b, a transiting planet with mass M {sub p} = 1.52{sup +0.18} {sub -0.16} M {sub J}, radius R {sub p} = 1.50{sup +0.08} {sub -0.06} R {sub J}, and photometric period P = 3.076 days. HAT-P-8b has a somewhat inflated radius for its mass, and a somewhat large mass for its period. The host star is a solar-metallicity F dwarf, with mass M {sub *} = 1.28 +- 0.04 M {sub sun} and R {sub *} = 1.58{sup +0.08} {sub -0.06} R {sub sun}. HAT-P-8b was initially identified as one of the 32 transiting-planet candidates in HATNet field G205. We describe the procedures that we have used to follow up these candidates with spectroscopic and photometric observations, and we present a status report on our interpretation for 28 of the candidates. Eight are eclipsingbinaries with orbital solutions whose periods are consistent with their photometric ephemerides; two of these spectroscopic orbits are single-lined and six are double-lined.

By using data mainly from Frolov et al. (1982) for four Delta Scuti stars in eclipsingbinary systems, AB Cas, Y Cam, RS Cha, and AI Hya, their physical parameters, distances, and radial pulsation modes are determined. The evolutionary track systems of Iben (1967), Paczynski (1970), and Maeder and Meynet (1988) are interpolated in order to estimate evolutionary masses Me and ages t of these variables. Their pulsation masses MQ are estimated from the fitting formulae of Faulkner (1977) and Fitch (1981). Our estimates of evolutionary masses M(e) and pulsation masses M(Q) are close to the masses M determined by Frolov et al. from the star binarity. The only exception is AB Cas, for which there is no agreement between certain star parameters. Another, independent approach is also applied to the stars RS Cha and AI Hya: by using their photometric indices b - y and c(1) from the catalog of Lopez de Coca et al. (1990) and appropriate photometric calibrations, other sets of physical parameters, distances, modes, ages, and evolutionary and pulsation masses of both variables are obtained.

We present spectroscopic and photometric study of V421 Peg. This eclipsingbinary displays lines from both components that are well separated. This allowed us to classify the primary and secondary component as F(1 ± 0.5) V and F(2 ± 0.5) V, respectively. We use our radial velocity measurements together with Hipparcos and ASAS photometry and apply simultaneous analysis, which yields masses and radii of the primary and secondary components as M1 = 1.594 ± 0.029 M⊙, M2 = 1.356 ± 0.029 M⊙ and R1 = 1.584 ± 0.028 R⊙, R2 = 1.328 ± 0.029 R⊙, respectively. Positions of the components in HR diagram suggest that the primary component is a γ Doradus variable candidate. Spectroscopic and photometric properties of the system indicates reddening value of E(B - V) = 0m.021 which puts the system to the distance of 158 ± 4 pc.

Evidence suggests that the direct progenitor stars of some core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are luminous blue variables (LBVs), perhaps including some Type II "superluminous supernovae" (SLSNe). We examine models in which massive stars gain mass soon after the end of core hydrogen burning. These are mainly intended to represent mergers following a brief contact phase during early Case B mass transfer, but may also represent stars which gain mass in the Hertzsprung Gap or extremely late during the main-sequence phase for other reasons. The post-accretion stars spend their core helium-burning phase as blue supergiants (BSGs), and many examples are consistent with being LBVs at the time of core collapse. Other examples are yellow supergiants at explosion. We also investigate whether such post-accretion stars may explode successfully after core collapse. The final core properties of post-accretion models are broadly similar to those of single stars with the same initial mass as the pre-merger primary star. More surprisingly, when early Case B accretion does affect the final core properties, the effect appears likely to favor a successful SN explosion, i.e., to make the core properties more like those of a lower-mass single star. However, the detailed structures of these cores sometimes display qualitative differences to any single-star model we have calculated. The rate of appropriate binary mergers may match the rate of SNe with immediate LBV progenitors; for moderately optimistic assumptions we estimate that the progenitor birthrate is ~1% of the CCSN rate.

Evidence suggests that the direct progenitor stars of some core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are luminous blue variables (LBVs), perhaps including some Type II 'superluminous supernovae' (SLSNe). We examine models in which massive stars gain mass soon after the end of core hydrogen burning. These are mainly intended to represent mergers following a brief contact phase during early Case B mass transfer, but may also represent stars which gain mass in the Hertzsprung Gap or extremely late during the main-sequence phase for other reasons. The post-accretion stars spend their core helium-burning phase as blue supergiants (BSGs), and many examples are consistent with being LBVs at the time of core collapse. Other examples are yellow supergiants at explosion. We also investigate whether such post-accretion stars may explode successfully after core collapse. The final core properties of post-accretion models are broadly similar to those of single stars with the same initial mass as the pre-merger primary star. More surprisingly, when early Case B accretion does affect the final core properties, the effect appears likely to favor a successful SN explosion, i.e., to make the core properties more like those of a lower-mass single star. However, the detailed structures of these cores sometimes display qualitative differences to any single-star model we have calculated. The rate of appropriate binary mergers may match the rate of SNe with immediate LBV progenitors; for moderately optimistic assumptions we estimate that the progenitor birthrate is ∼1% of the CCSN rate.

We report the discovery of three low-mass double-lined eclipsingbinaries in the pre-main sequence Upper Scorpius association, revealed by K2 photometric monitoring of the region over ˜78 days. The orbital periods of all three systems are <5 days. We use the K2 photometry plus multiple Keck/HIRES radial velocities (RVs) and spectroscopic flux ratios to determine fundamental stellar parameters for both the primary and secondary components of each system, along with the orbital parameters. We present tentative evidence that EPIC 203868608 is a hierarchical triple system comprised of an eclipsing pair of ˜25 MJup brown dwarfs with a wide M-type companion. If confirmed, it would constitute only the second double-lined eclipsing brown dwarf binary system discovered to date. The double-lined system EPIC 203710387 is composed of nearly identical M4.5-M5 stars with fundamentally determined masses and radii measured to better than 3% precision ({M}1=0.1183+/- 0.0028{M}⊙ , {M}2=0.1076+/- 0.0031{M}⊙ and {R}1=0.417+/- 0.010{R}⊙ , {R}2=0.450+/- 0.012{R}⊙ ) from combination of the light curve and RV time series. These stars have the lowest masses of any stellar mass double-lined eclipsingbinary to date. Comparing our derived stellar parameters with evolutionary models, we suggest an age of ˜10-11 Myr for this system, in contrast to the canonical age of 3-5 Myr for the association. Finally, EPIC 203476597 is a compact single-lined system with a G8-K0 primary and a likely mid-K secondary whose lines are revealed in spectral ratios. Continued measurement of RVs and spectroscopic flux ratios will better constrain fundamental parameters and should elevate the objects to benchmark status. We also present revised parameters for the double-lined eclipsingbinary UScoCTIO 5 ({M}1=0.3336+/- 0.0022{M}⊙ , {M}2=0.3200+/- 0.0022{M}⊙ and {R}1=0.862+/- 0.012, {R}2=0.852+/- 0.013{R}⊙ ), which are suggestive of a system age younger than previously reported. We discuss the

We analyze both long and short high resolution ultraviolet spectrum of Beta Lyrae eclipsingbinary system observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) between 1980 and 1989. The main spectral features are P Cygni profiles originating from different environments of Beta Lyrae. A set of 23 Mg II k&h spectral lines at 2800 Å, originating from the extended envelope [Hack, M., 1980. IAUS, 88, 271H], have been identified and measured to determine their fluxes and widths. We found that there is spectral variability for these physical parameters with phase, similar to that found for the light curve [Kondo, Y., McCluskey, G.E., Jeffery, M.M.S., Ronald, S.P., Carolina, P.S. McCluskey, Joel, A.E., 1994. ApJ, 421, 787], which we attribute to the eclipse effects [Ak, H., Chadima, P., Harmanec, P., Demircan, O., Yang, S., Koubský, P., Škoda, P., Šlechta, M., Wolf, M., Božić, H., 2007. A&A, 463, 233], in addition to the changes of density and temperature of the region from which these lines are coming, as a result of the variability of mass loss from the primary star to the secondary [Hoffman, J.L., Nordsieck, K.H., Fox, G.K., 1998. AJ, 115, 1576; Linnell, A.P., Hubeny, I., Harmanec, P., 1998. ApJ, 509, 379]. Also we present a study of Fe II spectral line at 2600 Å, originating from the atmosphere of the primary star [Hack, M., 1980. IAUS, 88, 271H]. We found spectral variability of line fluxes and line widths with phase similar to that found for Mg II k&h lines. Finally we present a study of Si IV spectral line at 1394 Å, originating from the extended envelope [Hack, M., 1980. IAUS, 88, 271H]. A set of 52 Si IV spectral line at 1394 Å have been identified and measured to determine their fluxes and widths. Also we found spectral variability of these physical parameters with phase similar to that found for Mg II k&h and Fe II spectral lines.

Measurements of the mass and radius of detached eclipsingbinaries (DEB) can be used to accurately determine the ages of clusters if an eclipsing star is evolved enough and sits near the cluster turnoff on the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). Multiple DEBs in a cluster can constrain the age even more tightly, and can also lead to inferences about chemical composition (such as helium abundance). As part of our study of the old 2.5 Gyr) open cluster NGC 6819 in the Kepler field, we present results for the DEB Auner 665 (WOCS 24009) with a short period of 3.6 days. We make use of photometric observations from the Kepler spacecraft and from the 1 m telescope at Mount Laguna Observatory in B, V, Rc, and Ic. Radial velocities were measured as part of a long-term study of the cluster (e.g., Hole et al. 2009) using the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope. A665 is a triple-lined system, and we verify that the brightest star is physically orbiting the eclipsingbinary based on radial velocities and eclipse timing variations. The stars that make up the detached eclipsingbinary are almost identical in temperature, with eclipses that are only clearly distinguishable using Kepler photometry. A new astrometric study of NGC 6819 confirms the cluster membership probability of A665 at a level of P=99%. Ultimately, we will compare the masses and radii obtained with theoretical isochrones and analyze the derived age of NGC 6819, which can also be used to improve stellar theoretical models with better constraints in the mass-radius plane. Our target is to reduce the uncertainty on the cluster age to less than 10% using results from A665 and other known DEBs. The results for this system will also help produce a valuable test of the asteroseismic mass estimates for giant stars in the cluster (Stello et al. 2011). We gratefully acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation under grant AST-0908536 and NASA under grants NNX11AC76G and NNX12AC88G.

When observing asteroids we select from two to five comparison stars for differential photometry, taking the average value of the comparisons for the single value to be subtracted from the value for the asteroid. As a check, the raw data of each comparison star are plotted as is the difference between any single comparison and the average of the remaining stars in the set. On more than one occasion, we have found that at least one of the comparisons was variable. In two instances, we took time away from our asteroid lightcurve work to determine the period of the two binaries and attempted to model the system using David Bradstreet's Binary Maker 3. Unfortunately, neither binary showed a total eclipse. Therefore, our results are not conclusive and present only one of many possibilities.

Thanks to advances in asteroseismology, red giants have become astrophysical laboratories for studying stellar evolution and probing the Milky Way. However, not all red giants show solar-like oscillations. It has been proposed that stronger tidal interactions from short-period binaries and increased magnetic activity on spotty giants are linked to absent or damped solar-like oscillations, yet each star tells a nuanced story. In this work, we characterize a subset of red giants in eclipsingbinaries observed by Kepler. The binaries exhibit a range of orbital periods, solar-like oscillation behavior, and stellar activity. We use orbital solutions together with a suite of modeling tools to combine photometry and spectroscopy in a detailed analysis of tidal synchronization timescales, star spot activity, and stellar evolution histories. These red giants offer an unprecedented opportunity to test stellar physics and are important benchmarks for ensemble asteroseismology.

We present high-resolution optical spectra of the young brown dwarf eclipsingbinary 2M0535-05, obtained during eclipse of the higher-mass (primary) brown dwarf. Combined with our previous spectrum of the primary alone (Paper I), the new observations yield the spectrum of the secondary alone. We investigate, through a differential analysis of the two binary components, whether cool surface spots are responsible for suppressing the temperature of the primary. In Paper I, we found a significant discrepancy between the empirical surface gravity of the primary and that inferred via fine analysis of its spectrum. Here we find precisely the same discrepancy in surface gravity, both qualitatively and quantitatively. While this may again be ascribed to either cool spots or model opacity errors, it implies that cool spots cannot be responsible for preferentially lowering the temperature of the primary: if they were, spot effects on the primary spectrum should be preferentially larger, and they are not. The T{sub eff}'s we infer for the primary and secondary, from the TiO-{epsilon} bands alone, show the same reversal, in the same ratio, as is empirically observed, bolstering the validity of our analysis. In turn, this implies that if suppression of convection by magnetic fields on the primary is the fundamental cause of the T{sub eff} reversal, then it cannot be a local suppression yielding spots mainly on the primary (though both components may be equally spotted), but a global suppression in the interior of the primary. We briefly discuss current theories of how this might work.

New CCD photometric observations of the eclipsing system AR Boo were obtained from 2006 February to 2008 April. The star's photometric properties are derived from detailed studies of the period variability and of all available light curves. We find that over about 56 yr the orbital period of the system has varied due to a combination of an upward parabola and a sinusoid rather than in a monotonic fashion. Mass transfer from the less massive primary to the more massive secondary component is likely responsible for at least a significant part of the secular period change. The cyclical variation with a period of 7.57 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.0015 d can be produced either by a light-travel-time effect due to an unseen companion with a scaled mass of M {sub 3}sin i {sub 3} = 0.081 M {sub sun} or by a magnetic period modulation in the secondary star. Historical light curves of AR Boo, as well as our own, display season-to-season light variability, which are best modeled by including both a cool spot and a hot one on the secondary star. We think that the spots express magnetic dynamo-related activity and offer limited support for preferring the magnetic interpretation of the 7.57 yr cycle over the third-body interpretation. Our solutions confirm that AR Boo belongs to the W-subtype contact binary class, consisting of a hotter, less massive primary star with a spectral type of G9 and a companion of spectral type K1.

AR Aur is the only eclipsingbinary known to contain a HgMn star, making it an ideal case for a detailed study of the HgMn phenomenon. HgMn stars are a poorly understood class of chemically peculiar stars, which have traditionally been thought not to possess significant magnetic fields. However, the recent discovery of line profile variability in some HgMn stars, apparently attributable to surface abundance patches, has brought this belief into question. In this paper we investigate the chemical abundances, line profile variability, and magnetic field of the primary and secondary of the AR Aur system, using a series of high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations. We find the primary is indeed a HgMn star, and present the most precise abundances yet determined for this star. We find the secondary is a weak Am star, and is possibly still on the pre-main sequence. Line profile variability was observed in a range of lines in the primary, and is attributed to inhomogeneous surface distributions of some elements. No magnetic field was detected in any observation of either stars, with an upper limit on the longitudinal magnetic field in both stars of 100 G. Modelling of the phase-resolve longitudinal field measurements leads to a 3σ upper limit on any dipole surface magnetic field of about 400 G. Based on observations obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France and the University of Hawaii. Also based on observations obtained at the Bernard Lyot Telescope (TBL, Pic du Midi, France) of the Midi-Pyrénées Observatory, which is operated by the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France. E-mail: cpf@arm.ac.uk

We have obtained Stroemgren b and y differential photometric observations of the solar-type eclipsingbinary HD 74057 plus follow-up high-resolution, red wavelength spectroscopic observations. The system has an orbital period of 31.2198 days, a high eccentricity of 0.47, and is seen almost exactly edge on with an inclination of 89.{sup 0}8. The two main-sequence G0 stars are nearly identical in all physical characteristics. We used the Wilson-Devinney program to obtain a simultaneous solution of our photometric and spectroscopic observations. The resulting masses of the components are M{sub 1} = 1.138 {+-} 0.003 M{sub Sun} and M{sub 2} = 1.131 {+-} 0.003 M{sub Sun }, and the radii are R{sub 1} = 1.064 {+-} 0.002 R{sub Sun} and R{sub 2} = 1.049 {+-} 0.002 R{sub Sun }. The effective temperatures are 5900 K (fixed) and 5843 K, and the iron abundance, [Fe/H], is estimated to be +0.07. A comparison with evolutionary tracks suggests that the system may be even more metal rich. The components rotate with periods of 8.4 days, significantly faster than the predicted pseudosynchronous period of 12.7 days. We see evidence that one or both components have cool spots. Both stars are close to the zero-age main sequence and are about 1.0 Gyr old.

We present three new eclipsing white-dwarf/M-dwarf binary systems discovered during a search for transiting planets around M-dwarfs. Unlike most known eclipsing systems of this type, the optical and infrared emission is dominated by the M-dwarf components, and the systems have optical colors and discovery light curves consistent with being Jupiter-radius transiting planets around early M-dwarfs. We detail the PTF/M-dwarf transiting planet survey, part of the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). We present a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based box-least-squares search for transits that runs approximately 8 Multiplication-Sign faster than similar algorithms implemented on general purpose systems. For the discovered systems, we decompose low-resolution spectra of the systems into white-dwarf and M-dwarf components, and use radial velocity measurements and cooling models to estimate masses and radii for the white dwarfs. The systems are compact, with periods between 0.35 and 0.45 days and semimajor axes of approximately 2 R{sub Sun} (0.01 AU). The M-dwarfs have masses of approximately 0.35 M{sub Sun }, and the white dwarfs have hydrogen-rich atmospheres with temperatures of around 8000 K and have masses of approximately 0.5 M{sub Sun }. We use the Robo-AO laser guide star adaptive optics system to tentatively identify one of the objects as a triple system. We also use high-cadence photometry to put an upper limit on the white-dwarf radius of 0.025 R{sub Sun} (95% confidence) in one of the systems. Accounting for our detection efficiency and geometric factors, we estimate that 0.08%{sub -0.05%}{sup +0.10%} (90% confidence) of M-dwarfs are in these short-period, post-common-envelope white-dwarf/M-dwarf binaries where the optical light is dominated by the M-dwarf. The lack of detections at shorter periods, despite near-100% detection efficiency for such systems, suggests that binaries including these relatively low-temperature white dwarfs are preferentially found at

We report the discovery of an eclipsing X-ray binary with a 3.62-hr period within 24 arcsec of the center of the dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4214. The orbital period places interesting constraints on the nature of the binary, and allows for a few very different interpretations. The most likely possibility is that the source lies within NGC 4214 and has an X-ray luminosity of up to 7e38. In this case the binary may well be comprised of a naked He-burning donor star with a neutron-star accretor, though a stellar-mass black-hole accretor cannot be completely excluded. There is no obvious evidence for a strong stellar wind in the X-ray orbital light curve that would be expected from a massive He star; thus, the mass of the He star should be <3-4 solar masses. If correct, this would represent a new class of very luminous X-ray binary----perhaps related to Cyg X-3. Other less likely possibilities include a conventional low-mass X-ray binary that somehow manages to produce such a high X-ray luminosity and is apparently persistent over an interval of years; or a foreground AM Her binary of much lower luminosity that fortuitously lies in the direction of NGC 4214. Any model for this system must accommodate the lack of an optical counterpart down to a limiting magnitude of 22.6 in the visible.

Physical parameters of both the mass donor and compact object can be constrained in X-ray binaries with well-defined eclipses, as our survey of wind-fed supergiant X-ray binaries IGR J16393-4643, IGR J16418-4532, IGR J16479-4514, IGR J18027-2016, and XTE J1855-026 reveals. Using the orbital period and Kepler’s third law, we express the eclipse half-angle in terms of radius, inclination angle, and the sum of the masses. Pulse-timing and radial velocity curves can give masses of both the donor and compact object as in the case of the “double-lined” binaries IGR J18027-2016 and XTE J1855-026. The eclipse half angles are {15}-2+3, {31.7}-0.8+0.7, 32 ± 2,34 ± 2, and 33.6+/- 0.7 degrees for IGR J16393-4643, IGR J16418-4532, IGR J16479-4514, IGR J18027-2016, and XTE 1855-026, respectively. In wind-fed systems, the primary not exceeding the Roche-lobe size provides an upper limit on system parameters. In IGR J16393-4643, spectral types of B0 V or B0-5 III are found to be consistent with the eclipse duration and Roche-lobe, but the previously proposed donor stars in IGR J16418-4532 and IGR J16479-4514 were found to be inconsistent with the Roche-lobe size. Stars with spectral types O7.5 I and earlier are possible. For IGR J18027-2016, the mass and radius of the donor star lie between 18.6-19.4 {M}⊙ and 17.4-19.5 {R}⊙ . We constrain the neutron star mass between 1.37 and 1.43 {M}⊙ .We find the mass and radius of the donor star in XTE J1855-026 to lie between 19.6-20.2 {M}⊙ and 21.5-23.0 {R}⊙ . The neutron star mass was constrained to 1.77-1.82 {M}⊙ . Eclipse profiles are asymmetric in IGR J18027-2016 and XTE J1855-026, which we attribute to accretion wakes.

TT Hydrae is an Algol-type interacting binary star consisting of a B9.5 V primary star and a K1 III-IV companion star. The companion star fills its Roche lobe and is transferring matter onto the primary star via a gas stream that flows through the binary system's first Lagrange point. The orbital period of the two stars is 6.95 days. This orbital period is long enough that the gas stream most likely does not strike the primary star directly, but gives it a glancing impact. The model of the mass flow in the binary system being presented is one of a "river" of material flowing around the equator of the primary star at the level of its photosphere. This river of gas can be heated by accretional heating and friction with the photosphere to temperatures higher than the 10,000 K photospheric temperature of the primary star. Ultraviolet absorption lines of the high temperature ions Si IV (25,000 K) and C IV (35,000 K) are identified in the IUE absorption spectra at all orbital phases. This is consistent with the river model as the river encircles the primary star. Another indication of the presence of the gas stream can be seen in the radial velocity curves of some spectral lines. When the radial velocities of the UV spectral lines are plotted versus orbital phase, some of them exhibit a deviation with respect to the orbital motion of the primary star. This deviation consists of excess positive radial velocity between orbital phases 0.6 and 0.9. The deviation has the correct sign and is within the correct orbital phase range to be consistent with the expected orientation of the gas stream. Emission spectra were recorded during the total phase of primary eclipse. Spectra recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope show emission lines of C IV, Si IV, and N V. These lines exhibit high radial velocity magnitudes in the range of 300 km s -1 to 400 km s -1 . Circular orbit velocities within a few solar radii of the primary star would have magnitudes this large. This is consistent

Using the eclipses as fiducial markers, an updated ephemeris for EXO 0748 - 676 is derived and evidence is found that between February 1985 and March 1989 the 3.82-h orbital period of EXO 0748 - 676 decreased with a time scale of -5 x 10 to the 6th yr. The sense of this change is the same as that predicted by simple models for the evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries containing main-sequence companions, but is a factor about 100 faster than expected. This rapid change in orbital period could result from the expansion of the companion due to the effects of X-ray heating. The eclipse transition durations are variable, with the shortest observed taking 1.5 s and the longest 40 s. This latter figure is about an order of magnitude too large to be due to absorption effects in the atmosphere of the secondary assuming a Roche geometry and likely stellar temperature. Either flaring activity or the presence of an X-ray heated evaporative wind or a corona may enhance the scale height of the companion's atmosphere producing the extended eclipse transitions.

Using the eclipses as fiducial markers, an updated ephemeris for EXO 0748 - 676 is derived and evidence is found that between February 1985 and March 1989 the 3.82-h orbital period of EXO 0748 - 676 decreased with a time scale of -5 x 10 to the 6th yr. The sense of this change is the same as that predicted by simple models for the evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries containing main-sequence companions, but is a factor about 100 faster than expected. This rapid change in orbital period could result from the expansion of the companion due to the effects of X-ray heating. The eclipse transition durations are variable, with the shortest observed taking 1.5 s and the longest 40 s. This latter figure is about an order of magnitude too large to be due to absorption effects in the atmosphere of the secondary assuming a Roche geometry and likely stellar temperature. Either flaring activity or the presence of an X-ray heated evaporative wind or a corona may enhance the scale height of the companion's atmosphere producing the extended eclipse transitions. 38 refs.

We report on the discovery and the timing analysis of the first eclipsing accretion-powered millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP): SWIFT J1749.4-2807. The neutron star rotates at a frequency of {approx}517.9 Hz and is in a binary system with an orbital period of 8.8 hr and a projected semimajor axis of {approx}1.90 lt-s. Assuming a neutron star between 0.8 and 2.2 M{sub sun} and using the mass function of the system and the eclipse half-angle, we constrain the mass of the companion and the inclination of the system to be in the {approx}0.46-0.81 M{sub sun} and {approx} 74.{sup 0}4-77.{sup 0}3 range, respectively. To date, this is the tightest constraint on the orbital inclination of any AMXP. As in other AMXPs, the pulse profile shows harmonic content up to the third overtone. However, this is the first AMXP to show a first overtone with rms amplitudes between {approx}6% and {approx}23%, which is the strongest ever seen and which can be more than two times stronger than the fundamental. The fact that SWIFT J1749.4-2807 is an eclipsing system that shows uncommonly strong harmonic content suggests that it might be the best source to date to set constraints on neutron star properties including compactness and geometry.

AX J1745.6-2901 is an eclipsing neutron star low mass X-ray binary. This source is bright in X-rays and it has a high column density of absorbing gas along the line of sight, showcasing a strong dust scattering halo. Moreover, the dust scattering halo shows time evolution during the eclipsing phase. The combination of these phenomena can provide important information about the location of the neutron star and the dust properties along the line of sight. In this talk, I will show that based on a large set of XMM-Newton and Chandra data, we can conduct, for the first time, a powerful combined analysis of the radial profile of the dust scattering halo and the time evolution of the halo during the eclipsing phase. Our study can put constraints on the location of the source, the distribution and composition of the dust, and the metal abundance towards the source. Due to the proximity of the source to Sgr A* (only 1.5 arcmin), these properties are highly relevant to the dust in the Galactic centre, and are likely to be similar as the dust properties on the line of sight towards Sgr A*.

The special circumstance of solar eclipse affords an opportunity to review its background, particularly in the cultural context of western Anatolia. This links with a current project of çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. Turning to the more general subject of stellar eclipses, topics of particular note concern: choice of fitting functions, disk eclipses, spot eclipses and the gravity-darkening effect. These topics arise within new era eclipsingbinary studies and are relevant to active researches on remote binaries and extrasolar planets.

We present a carefully controlled set of Spitzer 24 micron MIPS time series observations of the M-dwarf eclipsingbinary star GU Bootes. These observations serve to characterize the MIPS-24 observing techniques of the spacecraft, precisely establishing the photometric repeatability of this instrument at the tens of microJy level. The data aim to substantiate the previously reported and upcoming observations of extrasolar planet transits at similar flux levels. A further science return is the long wavelength (and thus limb darkening-independent) characterization of such a low-mass object's light curve, allowing for improved characterization of the components' linear radii and other aspects of their surface morphologies. In this presentation, we show GU Boo's 24 micron light curve and give our estimates concerning astrophysical parameters of the binary system. We furthermore give a detailed description of our analysis methods and discuss the comparison between our results and previous optical studies of this system.

In this paper, we present the results of a detailed spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the V = 13.4 mag low-mass eclipsingbinary NSVS 06507557 with an orbital period of 0.515d. We have obtained a series of mid-resolution spectra covering nearly the entire orbit of the system. In addition, we have obtained simultaneous VRI broad-band photometry using a small aperture telescope. From these spectroscopic and photometric data, we have derived the system's orbital parameters and we have determined the fundamental stellar parameters of the two components. Our results indicate that NSVS 06507557 consists of a K9 pre-main-sequence star and an M3 pre-main-sequence star. These have masses of 0.66 +/- 0.09 Msolar and 0.28 +/- 0.05 Msolar and radii of 0.60 +/- 0.03 and 0.44 +/- 0.02 Rsolar, respectively, and are located at a distance of 111 +/- 9 pc. The radius of the less massive secondary component is larger than that of a zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) star having the same mass. While the radius of the primary component is in agreement with ZAMS, the secondary component appears to be larger by about 35 per cent with respect to its ZAMS counterpart. Night-to-night intrinsic light variations up to 0.2 mag have been observed. In addition, the Hα and Hβ lines and the forbidden line of [OI] are seen in emission. The LiI 6708 Å absorption line is seen in most of the spectra. These features are taken to be signs of the characteristics of classic T Tauri stars. The parameters we have derived are consistent with an age of about 20 Myr, according to stellar evolutionary models. The spectroscopic and photometric results are in agreement with those obtained using theoretical predictions. Based on spectroscopic observations collected at TÜBİTAK (Turkey). E-mail: omur.cakirli@ege.edu.tr

We have determined the distance to a second eclipsingbinary (EB) system in the Large Magellanic Cloud, HV 982 (~B1 IV-V+~B1 IV-V). The measurement of the distance-among other properties of the system-is based on optical photometry and spectroscopy and space-based UV/optical spectrophotometry. The analysis combines the ``classical'' EB study of light and radial velocity curves, which yields the stellar masses and radii, with a new analysis of the observed energy distribution, which yields the effective temperature, metallicity, and reddening of the system plus the distance ``attenuation factor,'' essentially (radius/distance)2. Combining the results gives the distance to HV 982, which is 50.2+/-1.2 kpc. This distance determination consists of a detailed study of well-understood objects (B stars) in a well-understood evolutionary phase (core H burning). The results are entirely consistent with-but do not depend on-stellar evolution calculations. There are no ``zero-point'' uncertainties as, for example, with the use of Cepheid variables. Neither is the result subject to sampling biases, as may affect techniques that utilize whole stellar populations, such as red giant branch stars. Moreover, the analysis is insensitive to stellar metallicity (although the metallicity of the stars is explicitly determined), and the effects of interstellar extinction are determined for each object studied. After correcting for the location of HV 982, we find an implied distance to the optical center of the LMC's bar of dLMC=50.7+/-1.2 kpc. This result differs by nearly 5 kpc from our earlier result for the EB HV 2274, which implies a bar distance of 45.9 kpc. These results may either reflect marginally compatible measures of a unique LMC distance or, alternatively, suggest a significant depth to the stellar distribution in the LMC. Some evidence for this latter hypothesis is discussed. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope

We examine the performance of standard pre-main-sequence (PMS) stellar evolution models against the accurately measured properties of a benchmark sample of 26 PMS stars in 13 eclipsingbinary (EB) systems having masses 0.04-4.0 M⊙ and nominal ages ≈1-20 Myr. We provide a definitive compilation of all fundamental properties for the EBs, with a careful and consistent reassessment of observational uncertainties. We also provide a definitive compilation of the various PMS model sets, including physical ingredients and limits of applicability. No set of model isochrones is able to successfully reproduce all of the measured properties of all of the EBs. In the H-R diagram, the masses inferred for the individual stars by the models are accurate to better than 10% at ≳1 M⊙, but below 1 M⊙ they are discrepant by 50-100%. Adjusting the observed radii and temperatures using empirical relations for the effects of magnetic activity helps to resolve the discrepancies in a few cases, but fails as a general solution. We find evidence that the failure of the models to match the data is linked to the triples in the EB sample; at least half of the EBs possess tertiary companions. Excluding the triples, the models reproduce the stellar masses to better than ∼10% in the H-R diagram, down to 0.5 M⊙, below which the current sample is fully contaminated by tertiaries. We consider several mechanisms by which a tertiary might cause changes in the EB properties and thus corrupt the agreement with stellar model predictions. We show that the energies of the tertiary orbits are comparable to that needed to potentially explain the scatter in the EB properties through injection of heat, perhaps involving tidal interaction. It seems from the evidence at hand that this mechanism, however it operates in detail, has more influence on the surface properties of the stars than on their internal structure, as the lithium abundances are broadly in good agreement with model predictions. The

CM Draconis is the least massive main-sequence eclipsing double-lined spectroscopic binary currently known. Consequently, this system offers a unique opportunity to test stellar structure models near the bottom of the main sequence. The orbital solution of Lacy (1977) established the masses and radii of the two components with uncertainties of a few percent, but these errors are too large to distinguish between competing models. We present a new double-lined orbital solution based on 233 echelle spectra obtained with the CfA Digital Speedometers over the past ten years. Radial velocities for both components were determined using TODCOR, a two-dimensional correlation technique developed by Zucker and Mazeh (1994). We derive individual masses of MA = 0.231 +/- 0.002 and MB = 0.214 +/- 0.001 Msun and a mass ratio of q = 0.926 +/- 0.004. When plotted on a mass-radius diagram using the radii derived by Lacy, the slope defined by the two components of CM Draconis agrees well with the model slopes. The ability to distinguish between models is limited by the uncertainties in the radii and the metal abundance. Following the analysis of Paczynski and Sienkiewicz (1984) we derive bulk helium abundances for the two components of YA = 0.31 and YB = 0.30. The uncertainty is these helium abundances relative to each other is nominally +/- 0.02 and depends primarily on the uncertainty in the ratios of the masses and radii. The uncertainty in the absolute helium abundance is considerably larger and depends on the uncertainty in the absolute masses and radii, the parallax, bolometric correction, age, metallicity, and details of the stellar structure models (such as nuclear cross sections). The uncertainty in the absolute helium abundance is nominally +/- 0.05, but improved determinations of the radii, parallax, and bolometric correction are especially needed to confirm and improve this uncertainty. CM Draconis appears to be a member of Population II. Thus, it may be able to provide a

Aims: New CCD observations for semidetached and detached eclipsingbinaries from the Large Magellanic Cloud were carried out using the Danish 1.54-m telescope located at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The selected systems were monitored for their times of minima, which were required to be able to study the period changes taking place in them. In addition, many new times of minima were derived from the photometric surveys OGLE-II, OGLE-III, and MACHO. Methods: The O-C diagrams of minima timings were analysed using the hypothesis of the light-travel time effect, i.e. assuming the orbital motion around a common barycenter with the distant component. Moreover, the light curves of these systems were also analysed using the program PHOEBE, which provided the physical parameters of the stars. Results: For the first time, in this study we derived the relatively short periods of modulation in these systems, which relates to third bodies. The orbital periods resulted from 3.6 to 11.3 yr and the eccentricities were found to be up to 0.64. This is the first time that this kind of analysis for the set of extragalactic sources has been performed. The Wolf-Rayet system OGLE-LMC-ECL-08823 is the most mysterious one, owing to the resultant high mass function. Another system, OGLE-LMC-ECL-19996, was found to contain a third body with a very high mass (M3,min = 26M⊙). One system (OGLE-LMC-ECL-09971) is suspicious because of its eccentricity, and another one (OGLE-LMC-ECL-20162) shows some light curve variability, with a possible flare-like or microlensing-like event. Conclusions: All of these results came only from the photometric observations of the systems and can be considered as a good starting point for future dedicated observations. Based on data collected with the Danish 1.54-m telescope at the ESO La Silla Observatory.Full Table 4 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc

Oscillating stars in binary systems are among the most interesting stellar laboratories, as these can provide information on the stellar parameters and stellar internal structures. Here we present a red giant with solar-like oscillations in an eclipsingbinary observed with the NASA Kepler satellite. We compute stellar parameters of the red giant from spectra and the asteroseismic mass and radius from the oscillations. Although only one eclipse has been observed so far, we can already determine that the secondary is a main-sequence F star in an eccentric orbit with a semi-major axis larger than 0.5 AU and orbital period longer than 75 days.

A complete light curve of the neglected eclipsingbinary Algol V548 Cygni in the UV band was obtained with the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope in 2014 May. Photometric solutions are obtained using the Wilson–Devinney method. It is found that solutions with and without third light are quite different. The mass ratio without third light is determined to be q = 0.307, while that derived with third light is q = 0.606. It is shown that V548 Cygni is a semi-detached binary where the secondary component is filling the critical Roche lobe. An analysis of all available eclipse times suggests that there are three cyclic variations in the O–C diagram that are interpreted by the light travel-time effect via the presence of three additional stellar companions. This is in agreement with the presence of a large quantity of third light in the system. The masses of these companions are estimated as m sin i‧ ∼ 1.09, 0.20, and 0.52 M⊙. They are orbiting the central binary with orbital periods of about 5.5, 23.3, and 69.9 years, i.e., in 1:4:12 resonance orbit. Their orbital separations are about 4.5, 13.2, and 26.4 au, respectively. Our photometric solutions suggest that they contribute about 32.4% to the total light of the multiple system. No obvious long-term changes in the orbital period were found, indicating that the contributions of the mass transfer and the mass loss due to magnetic braking to the period variations are comparable. The detection of three possible additional stellar components orbiting a typical Algol in a multiple system make V548 Cygni a very interesting binary to study in the future.

We report differential photometric observations and radial-velocity measurements of the detached, 1.69 day period, double-lined eclipsingbinary AQ Ser. Accurate masses and radii for the components are determined to better than 1.8% and 1.1%, respectively, and are M {sub 1} = 1.417 ± 0.021 M {sub ☉}, M {sub 2} = 1.346 ± 0.024 M {sub ☉}, R {sub 1} = 2.451 ± 0.027 R {sub ☉}, and R {sub 2} = 2.281 ± 0.014 R {sub ☉}. The temperatures are 6340 ± 100 K (spectral type F6) and 6430 ± 100 K (F5), respectively. Both stars are considerably evolved, such that predictions from stellar evolution theory are particularly sensitive to the degree of extra mixing above the convective core (overshoot). The component masses are different enough to exclude a location in the H-R diagram past the point of central hydrogen exhaustion, which implies the need for extra mixing. Moreover, we find that current main-sequence models are unable to match the observed properties at a single age even when allowing the unknown metallicity, mixing length parameter, and convective overshooting parameter to vary freely and independently for the two components. The age of the more massive star appears systematically younger. AQ Ser and other similarly evolved eclipsingbinaries showing the same discrepancy highlight an outstanding and largely overlooked problem with the description of overshooting in current stellar theory.

A detailed study of variations of the orbital periods of the Algol-type eclipsingbinary systems RZ Cas and Z Dra is presented. The fairly complex variations of the periods of both systems can be represented as a superposition of a secular increase of the period, slow periodic fluctuations, and quasiperiodic oscillations with a small amplitude occurring on timescales of decades. The secular increase of the period can be explained by the steady mass transfer from the less massive to the more massive component with conservation of the total angular momentum. The mass-transfer rate is 5.7 × 10-9 M ⊙/yr for RZ Cas and 3.0×10-8 M ⊙/yr for Z Dra. To explain the long-period cyclic variations of the orbital periods of RZCas and Z Dra, it must be assumed that the eclipsingbinaries move in long-period orbits. RZ Cas moves with a period of 133 yr around a third body withmass M 3 > 0.55 M ⊙, while Z Dra moves with a period of 60 yr around a third body with mass M 3 > 0.7 M ⊙. The residual fluctuations of the periods may be due to a superposition of variations due to magnetic cycles and non-stationary ejections of matter.

Prior to K2, only one eclipsingbinary in the Pleiades was known (HD 23642). We present the discovery and characterization of three additional eclipsingbinaries (EBs) in this ~120 Myr old benchmark open cluster. Unlike HD 23642, all three of the new EBs are low mass (Mtot < 1 M⊙) and thus their components are still undergoing pre-main-sequence contraction at the Pleiades age. Low mass EBs are rare, especially in the pre-main-sequence phase, and thus these systems are valuable for constraining theoretical stellar evolution models. One of the three new EBs is single-lined with a K-type primary (HII 2407). The second (HCG 76) comprises two nearly equal-mass 0.3 M⊙ stars, with masses and radii measured with precisions of better than 3% and 5%, respectively. The third (MHO 9) has an M-type primary with a secondary that is possibly quite close to the hydrogen-burning limit, but needs additional follow-up observations to better constrain its parameters. We use the precise parameters of HCG 76 to test the predictions of stellar evolution models, and to derive an independent distance to the Pleiades of 132±5 pc. Finally, we present tentative evidence for differential rotation in the primary component of the newly discovered Pleiades EB HII 2407, and we also characterize a newly discovered transiting Neptune-sized planet orbiting an M-dwarf in the Hyades.

Delta Ori is the nearest massive, single-lined eclipsingbinary (O9.5 II + B0.5III). As such it serves as a fundamental calibrator of the mass-radius-luminosity relation in the upper HR diagram. It is also the only eclipsing O-type binary system which is bright enough to be observable with the CHANDRA gratings in a reasonable exposure. Studies of resolved X-ray line complexes provide tracers of wind mass loss rate and clumpiness; occultation by the X-ray dark companion of the line emitting region can provide direct spatial information on the location of the X-ray emitting gas produced by shocks embedded in the wind of the primary star. We obtained phase-resolved spectra with Chandra in order to determine the level of phase-dependent vs. secular variability in the shocked wind. Along with the Chandra observations we obtained simultaneous photometry from space with the Canadian MOST satellite to help understand the relation between X-ray and photospheric variability.

NGC 7789 is an intermediate-age open cluster with an age similar to the mean age of contact binary stars. V12 is a bright W UMa-type binary star with an orbital period of 0.3917 days. The first complete light curves of V12 in the V, R, and I bands are presented and analyzed with the Wilson–Devinney (W-D) method. The results show that V12 is an intermediate-contact binary (f=43.0(±2.2)%) with a mass ratio of 3.848, and it is a W-type contact binary where the less massive component is slightly hotter than the more massive one. The asymmetry of the light curves is explained by the presence of a dark spot on the more massive component. The derived orbital inclination (i=83{sub .}{sup ∘}6) indicates that it is a totally eclipsingbinary, which suggests that the determined parameters are reliable. The orbital period may show a long-term increase at a rate of P-dot =+2.48(±0.17)×10{sup −6} days yr{sup −1} that reveals a rapid mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one. However, more observations are needed to confirm this conclusion. The presence of an intermediate-contact binary in an intermediate-age open cluster may suggest that some contact binaries have a very short pre-contact timescale. The presence of a third body and/or stellar collision may help to shorten the pre-contact evolution.

The past two decades have seen a significant advancement in the detection, classification, and understanding of exoplanets and binaries. This is due, in large part, to the increase in use of small-aperture telescopes (<20 cm) to survey large areas of the sky to milli-mag precision with rapid cadence. The vast majority of the planetary and binary systems studied to date consists of main-sequence or evolved objects, leading to a dearth of knowledge of properties at early times (<50 Myr). Only a dozen binaries and one candidate transiting Hot Jupiter are known among pre-main-sequence objects, yet these are the systems that can provide the best constraints on stellar formation and planetary migration models. The deficiency in the number of well characterized systems is driven by the inherent and aperiodic variability found in pre-main-sequence objects, which can mask and mimic eclipse signals. Hence, a dramatic increase in the number of young systems with high-quality observations is highly desirable to guide further theoretical developments. We have recently completed a photometric survey of three nearby (<150 pc) and young (<50 Myr) moving groups with a small-aperture telescope. While our survey reached the requisite photometric precision, the temporal coverage was insufficient to detect Hot Jupiters. Nevertheless, we discovered 346 pre-main-sequence binary candidates, including 74 high-priority objects for further study. This paper includes data taken at The McDonald Observatory of The University of Texas at Austin.

While no eclipses deeper than 0.04 mag are noted in the present UV spectra, covering one-half of an orbital cycle of CV Ser, in the electron scattering continuum at 2400-3200 A or in fine error sensor observations, marked atmospheric eclipses of up to 0.5 mag depth are observed in individual strong lines and over large ranges of the continuum at shorter wavelengths. The flux above the continuum in the C II 1247 A, Si IV 1400 A, and Si IV 1723 lines showed similar phase dependence with emission weakening, as well as with the emission's going into absorption as phase progresses from superior to inferior conjunction of the WC star (primary eclipse). These observations show effects very similar to the behavior of WN stars in the UV.

Spectra of several eclipses of Algol in the range 10500-11000 A where the line contribution of Algol B is important, are presented. Strong unshifted 10830 (2000 mA) absorption peaks at primary minimum but disappears between phases 0.3 and 0.7. At minimum the line must primarily arise in Algol B, but the presence of 10830 absorption just outside eclipse, when the contribution to the total light of Algol B is small, must be due to excitation of He in the atmosphere of the primary by X-ray irradiation from Algol B, a known X-ray source. A Si I line from Algol B is also detected, and the Pa-gamma line sometimes peaks during eclipse. Even if some of the 10830 absorption comes from Algol A, Algol B still has the strongest 10830 (3000 mA) yet measured in any star.

We report on two years of photometric and spectroscopic observation of the recently discovered AM Herculis star RX J19402-1025. A sharp eclipse feature is present in the optical and X-ray light curves, repeating with a period of 12116.290 +/- 0.003 s. The out-of-eclipse optical waveform contains approximately equal contributions from a signal at the same period and another signal at 12150 s. As these signals drift in and out of phase, the wave form of the light curve changes in a complex but predictable manner. After one entire 'supercycle' of 50 days (the beat period between the shorter periods), the light curve returns to its initial shape. We present long-term ephemerides for each of these periods. It is highly probable that the eclipse period is the underlying orbital period, while the magnetic white dwarf rotates with P = 12150 s. The eclipses appear to be eclipses of the white dwarf by the secondary star. But there is probably also a small obscuring effect from cold gas surrounding the secondary, especially on the orbit-leading side where the stream begins to fall towards the white dwarf. The latter hypothesis can account for several puzzling effects in this star, as well as the tendency among most AM Her stars for the sharp emission-line components to slightly precede the actual motion of the secondary. The presence of eclipses in an asynchronous AM Her star provides a marvelous opportunity to study how changes in the orientation of magnetic field lines affect the accretion flows. Repeated polarimetric light curves and high-resolution studies of the emission lines are now critical to exploit this potential.

Exoplanet transit and Doppler surveys discover many binary stars during their operation that can be used to conduct a variety of ancillary science. Specifically, eclipsingbinary stars can be used to study the stellar mass-radius relationship and to test predictions of theoretical stellar evolution models. By cross-referencing 24 binary stars found in the MARVELS Pilot Project with SuperWASP photometry, we find two new eclipsingbinaries, TYC 0272-00458-1 and TYC 1422-01328-1, which we use as case studies to develop a general approach to eclipsingbinaries in survey data. TYC 0272-00458-1 is a single-lined spectroscopic binary for which we calculate a mass of the secondary and radii for both components using reasonable constraints on the primary mass through several different techniques. For a primary mass of M{sub 1} = 0.92 {+-} 0.1 M{sub sun}, we find M{sub 2} = 0.610 {+-} 0.036 M{sub sun}, R{sub 1} = 0.932 {+-} 0.076 R{sub sun}, and R{sub 2} = 0.559 {+-} 0.102 R{sub sun}, and find that both stars have masses and radii consistent with model predictions. TYC 1422-01328-1 is a triple-component system for which we can directly measure the masses and radii of the eclipsing pair. We find that the eclipsing pair consists of an evolved primary star (M{sub 1} = 1.163 {+-} 0.034 M{sub sun}, R{sub 1} = 2.063 {+-} 0.058 R{sub sun}) and a G-type dwarf secondary (M{sub 2} = 0.905 {+-} 0.067 M{sub sun}, R{sub 2} = 0.887 {+-} 0.037 R{sub sun}). We provide the framework necessary to apply this analysis to much larger data sets.

We have analyzed the double-lined eclipsingbinary system OGLE-051019.64-685812.3 in the LMC which consists of two G4 giant components with very similar effective temperatures. A detailed analysis of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment I-band light curve of the system, radial velocity curves for both components derived from high-resolution spectra, and near-infrared magnitudes of the binary system measured outside the eclipses has allowed us to obtain an accurate orbit solution for this eclipsingbinary and its fundamental physical parameters. Using a surface brightness (V - K)-color relation for giant stars we have calculated the distance to the system and obtained a true distance modulus of 18.50 mag, with an estimated total uncertainty of {+-}3%. More similar eclipsingbinary systems in the LMC which we have discovered and for which we are currently obtaining the relevant data will allow us to better check on the systematics of the method and eventually provide a distance determination to the LMC accurate to 1%, much needed for the calibration of the distance scale.

We report on over 3 weeks of continuous ultra-high precision photometry of the bright, nearby, detached (P= 1.02 day; A8m + dK7) eclipsingbinary delta Cap. The observations were carried out with the Canadian Micro-satellite MOST during Aug/Sept. 2010. Extensive contemporaneous spectroscopy was secured with the 2-m TSU Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope (AST) and complementary BVR photometry was obtained with ground based telescopes. Delta Cap is an astrophysically important star because it is the nearest and brightest eclipsingbinary with a bright pulsating component that can be used (with astereoseismic analyses) to test and calibrate stellar interior and pulsation models. When a pulsating star is a member of an eclipsingbinary, the analyses of the it's light and radial velocity observations yield the precise determination of all fundamental orbital and physical properties for the component stars. Moreover the MOST observations during the primary eclipses are a powerful tool for mode identification as portions of the pulsating A-star are blocked from view. Also because delta Cap is nearby and has a reliable parallax (pi (Hipp) = 84.27+/- 0.19 mas), the component stars’ luminosities and temperatures are also directly determinable. In addition to its well behaved 1.02-d periodic light variations arising from the eclipses and tidal effects, the MOST light curves clearly show small ( 0.01-0.02 mag) complex light variations. We present the results of the analysis the eclipsingbinary light and radial velocity curves using PHOEBE. Also presented are the initial asteroseismic analyses of the A8m component based on the MOST photometry and contemporaneous radial velocity observations. Preliminary models indicate this star is a hybrid gamma Dor-delta Scuti pulsator. We gratefully acknowledge the support from NASA/MOST Grant NNX10AI85G and NSF/RUI Grant AST-05-07542. We also wholeheartedly thank the MOST team for securing and reducing the photometry.

The bright, long-period, eclipsingbinary star epsilon Aurigae is predicted to begin its next eclipse late July or early August of 2009. Epsilon Aurigae is now past solar conjunction and has reappeared as a morning object. All observers -- both visual and instrumental -- are encouraged to contribute observations of the eclipse during the next two years, beginning immediately for morning observers. Observations are urgently requested right now because it is less likely to be observed in the morning, and the eclipse will begin within the next month. The AAVSO is participating in a global campaign to record this eclipse as part of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 celebrations, organized by the Citizen Sky project (http://www.citizensky.org). For experienced visual observers, please observe this star on a weekly basis, using charts available via VSP from the AAVSO website. For novice visual observers, we recommend participating in this observing program by following the Citizen Sky 10-Star tutorial program, which provides a simple training experience in variable star observing. Photoelectric observers belonging to the AAVSO PEP-V program may submit data as usual via the WebObs feature of the AAVSO website Blue&Gold section. Photoelectric observers may also contribute reduced observations in all filters (including infrared J- and H-bands) directly to the AAVSO via WebObs. Observers using wide-field CCD and DSLR systems are also encouraged to participate; avoid saturating the star. For those with narrower-field systems (D < 2 degrees), we recommend taking a large number (10-100) of very short exposures and then stacking the resulting images. Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. Aaron Price is coordinating Citizen Sky for the AAVSO, and Dr. Robert Stencel and Jeffrey Hopkins are co-leading the precision photometry efforts.

Context. The Kepler mission has searched for planetary transits in more than two hundred thousand stars by obtaining very accurate photometric data over a long period of time. Among the thousands of detected candidates, the planetary nature of around 15% has been established or validated by different techniques. But additional data are needed to characterize the rest of the candidates and reject other possible configurations. Aims: We started a follow-up program to validate, confirm, and characterize some of the planet candidates. In this paper we present the radial velocity analysis of those that present large variations, which are compatible with being eclipsingbinaries. We also study those showing high rotational velocities, which prevents us from reaching the necessary precision to detect planetary-like objects. Methods: We present new radial velocity results for 13 Kepler objects of interest (KOIs) obtained with the CAFE spectrograph at the Calar Alto Observatory and analyze their high-spatial resolution (lucky) images obtained with AstraLux and the Kepler light curves of some interesting cases. Results: We have found five spectroscopic and eclipsingbinaries (group A). Among them, the case of KOI-3853 is of particular interest. This system is a new example of the so-called heartbeat stars, showing dynamic tidal distortions in the Kepler light curve. We have also detected duration and depth variations of the eclipse. We suggest possible scenarios to explain such an effect, including the presence of a third substellar body possibly detected in our radial velocity analysis. We also provide upper mass limits to the transiting companions of six other KOIs with high rotational velocities (group B). This property prevents the radial velocity method from achieving the necessary precision to detect planetary-like masses. Finally, we analyze the large radial velocity variations of two other KOIs, which are incompatible with the presence of planetary-mass objects

We present high-resolution Keck optical spectra of the very young substellar eclipsingbinary 2MASS J05352184-0546085, obtained during eclipse of the lower-mass (secondary) brown dwarf. The observations yield the spectrum of the higher-mass (primary) brown dwarf alone, with negligible ({approx}1.6%) contamination by the secondary. We perform a simultaneous fine analysis of the TiO-{epsilon} band and the red lobe of the K I doublet, using state-of-the-art PHOENIX DUSTY and COND synthetic spectra. Comparing the effective temperature and surface gravity derived from these fits to the empirically determined surface gravity of the primary (log g = 3.5) then allows us to test the model spectra as well as probe the prevailing photospheric conditions. We find that: (1) fits to TiO-{epsilon} alone imply T{sub eff} = 2500 {+-} 50 K; (2) at this T{sub eff}, fits to K I imply log g = 3.0, 0.5 dex lower than the true value; and (3) at the true log g, K I fits yield T{sub eff} = 2650 {+-} 50 K, {approx}150 K higher than from TiO-{epsilon} alone. On the one hand, these are the trends expected in the presence of cool spots covering a large fraction of the primary's surface (as theorized previously to explain the observed T{sub eff} reversal between the primary and secondary). Specifically, our results can be reproduced by an unspotted stellar photosphere with T{sub eff} = 2700 K and (empirical) log g = 3.5, coupled with axisymmetric cool spots that are 15% cooler (2300 K), have an effective log g = 3.0 (0.5 dex lower than photospheric), and cover 70% of the surface. On the other hand, the trends in our analysis can also be reproduced by model opacity errors: there are lacks in the synthetic TiO-{epsilon} opacities, at least for higher-gravity field dwarfs. Stringently discriminating between the two possibilities requires combining the present results with an equivalent analysis of the secondary (predicted to be relatively unspotted compared to the primary).

IGR J16195-4945 is a hard X-ray source discovered by INTEGRAL during the Core Programme observations performed in 2003. We analysed the X-ray emission of this source exploiting the Swift-Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) survey data from 2004 December to 2015 March, and all the available Swift-X-ray Telescope (XRT)-pointed observations. The source is detected at a high significance level in the 123-month BAT survey data, with an average 15-150 keV flux of the source of ˜1.6 mCrab. The timing analysis on the BAT data reveals with a significance higher than six standard deviations the presence of a modulated signal with a period of 3.945 d, that we interpret as the orbital period of the binary system. The folded light curve shows a flat profile with a narrow full eclipse lasting ˜3.5 per cent of the orbital period. We requested phase-constrained XRT observations to obtain a more detailed characterization of the eclipse in the soft X-ray range. Adopting reasonable guess values for the mass and radius of the companion star, we derive a semimajor orbital axis of ˜ 31 R⊙, equivalent to ˜1.8 times the radius of the companion star. From these estimates and from the duration of the eclipse, we derive an orbital inclination between 55 and 60 deg. The broad-band time-averaged XRT+BAT spectrum is well modelled with a strongly absorbed flat power law, with absorbing column NH = 7 × 1022 cm-2 and photon index Γ = 0.5, modified by a high energy exponential cutoff at Ecut = 14 keV.

We report the discovery of a new pulsating pre-He-WD in the EL CVn-type binary KIC 9164561. Light curve modeling and frequency analysis of the binary system were carried out based on short-cadence Kepler photometry. Combined with the radial-velocity solution, revised physical parameters of the binary system were determined. The component KIC 9164561B was confirmed to be a pre-He-WD star with M\\=\\0.213+/- 0.012{M}ȯ , R\\=\\0.283+/- 0.006{R}ȯ , and {T}{eff}\\=\\10650+/- 200 K. In addition to the light changes due to an eclipse, pulsational light variations of the pre-He-WD star were detected. The Fourier analysis reveals at least 52 frequencies, with the dominant one at 313.4 μHz. A brief mode identification indicates that the pre-He-WD star pulsates in g-modes with an average period spacing of {{Δ }}{{{\\Pi }}}l=1 = 80.87 s. Moreover, a number of multiplets due to rotational splitting were identified from the frequency spectra. The rotational period of the pulsating pre-He-WD star was found to equal to the orbital period, indicating that KIC 9164561B is in synchronous rotation.

Stellar-mass black holes are found in X-ray-emitting binary systems, where their mass can be determined from the dynamics of their companion stars. Models of stellar evolution have difficulty producing black holes in close binaries with masses more than ten times that of the Sun (>10; ref. 4), which is consistent with the fact that the most massive stellar black holes known so far all have masses within one standard deviation of 10. Here we report a mass of (15.65 +/- 1.45) for the black hole in the recently discovered system M 33 X-7, which is located in the nearby galaxy Messier 33 (M 33) and is the only known black hole that is in an eclipsingbinary. To produce such a massive black hole, the progenitor star must have retained much of its outer envelope until after helium fusion in the core was completed. On the other hand, in order for the black hole to be in its present 3.45-day orbit about its (70.0 +/- 6.9) companion, there must have been a 'common envelope' phase of evolution in which a significant amount of mass was lost from the system. We find that the common envelope phase could not have occurred in M 33 X-7 unless the amount of mass lost from the progenitor during its evolution was an order of magnitude less than what is usually assumed in evolutionary models of massive stars. PMID:17943124

Stellar-mass black holes are found in X-ray-emitting binary systems, where their mass can be determined from the dynamics of their companion stars. Models of stellar evolution have difficulty producing black holes in close binaries with masses more than ten times that of the Sun (>10; ref. 4), which is consistent with the fact that the most massive stellar black holes known so far all have masses within one standard deviation of 10. Here we report a mass of (15.65+/-1.45) for the black hole in the recently discovered system M 33 X-7, which is located in the nearby galaxy Messier 33 (M 33) and is the only known black hole that is in an eclipsingbinary. To produce such a massive black hole, the progenitor star must have retained much of its outer envelope until after helium fusion in the core was completed. On the other hand, in order for the black hole to be in its present 3.45-day orbit about its (70.0+/-6.9) companion, there must have been a `common envelope' phase of evolution in which a significant amount of mass was lost from the system. We find that the common envelope phase could not have occurred in M 33 X-7 unless the amount of mass lost from the progenitor during its evolution was an order of magnitude less than what is usually assumed in evolutionary models of massive stars.

We carried out light curve solutions of the Kepler light curves of twenty detached eclipsingbinaries with circular orbits and determined the orbital inclinations, temperatures. relative radii and luminosities of their components. We studied the quality of the solutions with respect to the adopted limb-darkening law and its coefficients. The detailed tracing of the numerous and uninterrupted data of our targets gave us an unique possibility to detect and learn their spot and flare activity. We established that the out-of-eclipse variability of the most targets gradually changes from small-amplitude two-waved type to big-amplitude one-waved type and vice versa, i.e. their spot activity cycles pass through phase of two almost diametrically opposite spots and phase of big polar cool spot. We found that the low-temperature targets show flare activity of UV Cet-type with amplitudes of 0.002-0.22 mag and duration of up to several hours. Data from Kepler

This is the third of a series of four papers, the goal of which is to identify the overcontact eclipsingbinary star systems for which a solid case can be made for mass exchange. To reach this goal, it is necessary first to identify those systems for which there is a strong case for period change. We have identified 60 candidate systems; in the first two papers (Nelson et al. 2014, 2016) we discussed 40 individual cases; this paper continues with the last 20. For each system, we present a detailed discussion and evaluation concerning the observational and interpretive material presented in the literature. At least one eclipse timing (ET) diagram, commonly referred to as an "O-C diagram", that includes the latest available data, accompanies each discussion. In paper 4, we will discuss the mechanisms that can cause period change and which of the 60 systems can be reliably concluded to exhibit mass exchange; we will also provide a list of marginal and rejected cases - suitable for future work.

The system ARAur is a young late B-type double-lined eclipsingbinary with a primary star of HgMn peculiarity. We applied the Doppler imaging method to reconstruct the distribution of Fe and Y over the surface of the primary using spectroscopic time series obtained in 2005 and from 2008 October to 2009 February. The results show a remarkable evolution of the element distribution and overabundances. Measurements of the magnetic field with the moment technique using several elements reveal the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field of the order of a few hundred gauss in both stellar components and a quadratic field of the order of 8kG on the surface of the primary star. Based on observations obtained at the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, the Karl-Schwarzschild-Observatorium in Tautenburg and the STELLA robotic telescope on Tenerife. E-mail: shubrig@aip.de

Complete $uvby$ light curves of the detached triple-lined late B-type eclipsingbinary V906 Scorpii, secured from 1987 to 1991, are presented. A detailed photometric analysis based on these observations and on new spectroscopic material yields accurate masses and radii (errors

We present the first light curve analysis of the new eclipsingbinary of WUMa type 1SWASP J2104. A detailed photometric analysis was carried out in VRI bands using the most recent version of Wilson-Devinney (WD) code. The absolute physical parameters of the system were obtained and the previously determined period was confirmed. The evolution state shows that the primary component is slightly evolved above the ZAMS track while the secondary is on TAMS track. Our results show that the spectral types of the primary and secondary stars of the studied system are K4 and K5, respectively. The distance to 1SWASP J2104 was calculated to be 307 ± 21pc.

For over decade we have been using eclipsingbinaries (EBs) to determine accurate distances to Local Group Galaxies such as the Magellanic Clouds & M31 (cf. Fitzpatrick et al. 2003; Vilardell et al. 2010). We (and others) have demonstrated that carefully selected EBs can serve as excellent "Standard Candles." Distances measured from EBs are basically geometric and are essentially free from assumptions and uncertainties that complicate other less direct methods. The radii of the stars are determined to better than a few percent from the time-tested analyses of their light and radial velocity curves. With accurate determinations of radii, Teff (or calibrated flux SEDs) and ISM absorption, it is possible to calculate reliable distances with uncertainties of < 5%. M33 is an important face-on spiral galaxy that still has a large range in its measured distance of ~750 - 960 kpc. We carried out HST/COS and STIS FUV-Near-IR (1150 - 8500A) spectrophotometry & WFPC-2 photometry of the19th mag (O7V +O7V) eclipsingbinary D33 J013346.2+304439.9 in M33 to try to improve its distance.This EB was used previously by Bonanos et al. (2006) to determine a distance = 964 +/- 54 kpc. Analysis of the HST FUV-NIR data will yield more accurate Teff, Av, and [Fe/H] measures. These quantities, when combined with the results from existing light and radial velocity curves of Bonanos et al. permit the refined distance to be found with more certainty. We discuss the results and compare them with other recent M33 distances. When a reliable distance is found, M33 could replace the LMC as the primary exgalactic distance calibrator since this Sa spiral has chemical and physical properties more in common with the galaxies used to determine the Hubble Law and Ho. This research supported by HST NASA grants HST-GO-10919 & HST-GO-11725.

This is the fourth in a series of papers that aim both to provide reasonable orbits for a number of eclipsingbinaries and to evaluate the expected performance of Gaia of these objects and the accuracy that is achievable in the determination of such fundamental stellar parameters as mass and radius. In this paper, we attempt to derive the orbits and physical parameters for three eclipsingbinaries in the mid-F to mid-G spectral range. As for previous papers, only the H_P, V_T, BT photometry from the Hipparcos/Tycho mission and ground-based radial velocities from spectroscopy in the region 8480-8740 Å are used in the analyses. These data sets simulate the photometric and spectroscopic data that are expected to be obtained by Gaia, the approved ESA Cornerstone mission to be launched in 2011. The systems targeted in this paper are SV Cam, BS Dra and HP Dra. SV Cam and BS Dra have been studied previously, allowing comparisons of the derived parameters with those from full scale and devoted ground-based investigations. HP Dra has no published orbital solution. SV Cam has a β Lyrae type light curve and the others have Algol-like light curves. SV Cam has the complication of light curve anomalies, usually attributed to spots; BS Dra has non-solar metallicity, and HP Dra appears to have a small eccentricity and a sizeable time derivative in the argument of the periastron. Thus all three provide interesting and different test cases.

The eclipsingbinary system 2M 1938+4603 consists of a pulsating hot subdwarf B star and a cool M dwarf companion in an effectively circular three-hour orbit. The light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, along with a strong reflection effect from the cool companion. Here, we present constraints on the component masses and eccentricity derived from the Romer delay of the secondary eclipse. Using six months of publicly available Kepler photometry obtained in short-cadence mode, we fit model profiles to the primary and secondary eclipses to measure their centroid values. We find that the secondary eclipse arrives on average 2.06 {+-} 0.12 s after the midpoint between primary eclipses. Under the assumption of a circular orbit, we calculate from this time delay a mass ratio of q = 0.2691 {+-} 0.0018 and individual masses of M{sub sd} = 0.372 {+-} 0.024 M{sub Sun} and M{sub c} = 0.1002 {+-} 0.0065 M{sub Sun} for the sdB and M dwarf, respectively. These results differ slightly from those of a previously published light-curve modeling solution; this difference, however, may be reconciled with a very small eccentricity, ecos {omega} Almost-Equal-To 0.00004. We also report a decrease in the orbital period of P-dot = (-1.23 {+-} 0.07) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -10}.

In this article, a period analysis of the late-type eclipsingbinary VV UMa is presented. This work is based on the periodic variation of eclipse timings of the VV UMa binary. We determined the orbital properties and mass of a third orbiting body in the system by analyzing the light-travel time effect. The O-C diagram constructed for all available minima times of VV UMa exhibits a cyclic character superimposed on a linear variation. This variation includes three maxima and two minima within approximately 28,240 orbital periods of the system, which can be explained as the light-travel time effect (LITE) because of an unseen third body in a triple system that causes variations of the eclipse arrival times. New parameter values of the light-time travel effect because of the third body were computed with a period of 23.22 ± 0.17 years in the system. The cyclic-variation analysis produces a value of 0.0139 day as the semi-amplitude of the light-travel time effect and 0.35 as the orbital eccentricity of the third body. The mass of the third body that orbits the eclipsingbinary stars is 0.787 ± 0.02 M⊙, and the semi-major axis of its orbit is 10.75 AU.

This research is focused on demystifying the unusual bright long-period (P = 27.1 years) eclipsingbinary ɛ Aurigae (F0 Ia + disk). We are attempting to cut the "Gordian Knot” to distinguish between two attractive competing models that have been advanced to explain the many unusual properties of this unique binary. According to the "Higher mass" model, the F-supergiant is assumed to be a luminous young (high mass: M > 15 M⊙) F0 Ia star. In this case its huge, cool disk-companion is a proto-planetary disk or an embedded high-mass main-sequence star that has captured a significant mass from the winds of its rapidly evolving companion. In "Lower mass” model the F-supergiant star is assumed to be a post-AGB star ( 2-3 M⊙) while the large disk companion (of similar mass) is the remnant of a recent mass-losing episode that Post-AGB stars frequently undergo. To distinguish between these models we have followed two approaches. We have investigated the measured brightness of ɛ Aur over two millennia (using transformed visual measures from Ptolemy and Sufi and others up to the present). We investigated possible brightness changes expected from mass-loss/ exchange events. No significant (larger than 0.5 mag) changes in brightness were found. We also have estimated the distance to the binary by identifying stars within ½ degree that appear be associated with the binary. Stars with similar kinematics, color-excesses and ISM lines to ɛ Aur were found. This association of ɛ Aur with these possible common cluster stars indicates d 1.0 +/- 0.15 kpc. In this case, the F-supergiant would have Mv -8.0-mag which is appropriate for high-mass F-supergiant but too luminous for a post-AGB object. This research is supported by NSF/RUI Grant AST-1009903.

We present both binarity and pulsation of KIC 6220497 from the Kepler observations. The light curve synthesis shows that the eclipsing system is a semi-detached Algol with parameters of q = 0.243±0.001, i = 77.3±0.3 deg, and ΔT = 3,372±58 K, in which the detached primary component fills its Roche lobe by ˜87%. A multiple frequency analysis of the eclipse-subtracted light residuals reveals 33 frequencies in the range of 0.75-20.22 d-1 with amplitudes between 0.27 and 4.56 mmag. Among these, four are pulsation frequencies in fundamental (f1, f5) and p (f2, f7) modes, and six are orbital frequency (f8, f31) and its harmonics (f6, f11, f20, f24), which can be attributed to tidally excited modes. For the pulsation frequencies, the pulsation constants of 0.16-0.33 d and the period ratios of Ppul/Porb = 0.042-0.089 indicate that the primary component is a δ Sct pulsating star and, thus, KIC 6220497 is an oscillating eclipsing Algol (oEA) star. The dominant pulsation period of 0.1174051±0.0000004 d is significantly longer than that expected from empirical relations that link the pulsation period with the orbital period. The surface gravity of log g1 = 3.78±0.03 is clearly smaller than those of the other oEA stars with similar orbital periods. The pulsation period and the surface gravity of the pulsating primary demonstrate that KIC 6220497 would be the more evolved EB, compared with normal oEA stars.

Recent observations indicate that the eclipsing pulsar binary PSR B1957+20 undergoes alternating epochs of orbital period increase and decrease. We apply a model developed to explain orbital period changes of alternating sign in other binaries to the PSR B1957+20 system and find that it fits the pulsars observations well. The novel feature of the PSR B1957+20 system is that the energy flow in the companion needed to power the orbital period change mechanism can be supplied by tidal dissipation, making the companion the first identified tidally powered star. The flow of energy in the companion drives magnetic activity, which underlies the observed orbital period variations. The magnetic activity and the wind driven by the pulsar irradiation results in a torque on the spin of the companion. This torque holds the companion out of synchronous rotation, causing tidal dissipation of energy. We propose that the progenitor had a approximately 2 hr orbital period and a companion mass of 0.1-0.2 solar mass, and the system is evolving to longer orbital periods by mass and angular momentum loss on a timescale of 108 yr.

We present spectroscopic and photometric solutions for three spotted systems with red giant components. Absolute physical and orbital parameters for these double-lined detached eclipsingbinary stars are presented for the first time. These were derived from the V-, and I-band ASAS and WASP photometry, and new radial velocities calculated from high quality optical spectra we obtained with a wide range of spectrographs and using the two-dimensional cross-correlation technique (TODCOR). All of the investigated systems (ASAS J184949-1518.7, BQ Aqr, and V1207 Cen) show the differential evolutionary phase of their components consisting of a main-sequence star or a subgiant and a red giant, and thus constitute very informative objects in terms of testing stellar evolution models. Additionally, the systems show significant chromospheric activity of both components. They can be also classified as classical RS CVn-type stars. Besides the standard analysis of radial velocities and photometry, we applied spectral disentangling to obtain separate spectra for both components of each analysed system which allowed for a more detailed spectroscopic study. We also compared the properties of red giant stars in binaries that show spots, with those that do not, and found that the activity phenomenon is substantially suppressed for stars with Rossby number higher than ˜1 and radii larger than ˜20 R⊙.

We present an analysis of the detached eclipsingbinaries V44 and V54 belonging to the globular cluster M55. For V54 we obtain the following absolute parameters: Mp=0.726±0.015 Msun, Rp=1.006± 0.009 Rsun, Lp=1.38±0.07 Lsun for the primary, and Ms=0.555± 0.008 Msun, Rs=0.528±0.005 Rsun, Ls=0.16±0.01 Lsun for the secondary. The age and apparent distance modulus of V54 are estimated at 13.3-14.7 Gyr and 13.94±0.05 mag, respectively. This derived age is substantially larger than ages we have derived from the analysis of binary systems in 47 Tuc and M4. The secondary of V44 is so weak in the optical domain that only mass function and relative parameters are obtained for the components of this system. However, there is a good chance that the velocity curve of the secondary could be derived from near-IR spectra. As the primary of V44 is more evolved than that of V54, such data would impose much tighter limits on the age and distance of M55.

BVRI Observations of the star BD+05 706, carried out between January, 1997, and April 1998 using the 0.4m reflector and Photometrics CCD camera at the Gettysburg College Observatory, show that the star is an eclipsingbinary system with a light curve characteristic of a class of semi-detached binaries known as the "cool Algols". These results are in good agreement with the previous report of BD+05 706 as a cool Algol by Torres, Neuhauser, and Wichmann,(Astron. J., 115, May 1998) who based their classification on the strong X-ray emission detected by Rosat and on a series of spectroscopic observations of the radial velocities of both components of the system obtained at the Oak Ridge Observatory, the Fred L. Whipple Observatory, and the Multiple Mirror Telescope. Only 10 other examples of cool Algols are known, and the current photometric light curve, together with the radial velocity curves obtained previously, allows us to derive a complete solution for the physical parameters of each component, providing important constraints on models for these interesting systems.

CCD observations of 68 eclipsingbinary systems, candidates for containing δ Scuti components, were obtained. Their light curves are analysed using the PERIOD04 software for possible pulsational behaviour. For the systems QY Aql, CZ Aqr, TY Cap, WY Cet, UW Cyg, HL Dra, HZ Dra, AU Lac, CL Lyn and IO UMa, complete light curves were observed due to the detection of a pulsating component. All of them, except QY Aql and IO UMa, are analysed with modern astronomical softwares in order to determine their geometrical and pulsational characteristics. Spectroscopic observations of WY Cet and UW Cyg were used to estimate the spectral class of their primary components, while for HZ Dra radial velocities of its primary were measured. O - C diagram analysis was performed for the cases showing peculiar orbital period variations, namely CZ Aqr, TY Cap, WY Cet and UW Cyg, with the aim of obtaining a comprehensive picture of these systems. An updated catalogue of 74 close binaries including a δ Scuti companion is presented. Moreover, a connection between orbital and pulsation periods, as well as a correlation between evolutionary status and dominant pulsation frequency for these systems, is discussed.

Detached eclipsingbinary stars with convective cores provide a good tool to investigate convective core overshoot. It has been performed on some binary stars to restrict the classical overshoot model which simply extends the boundary of the fully mixed region. However, the classical overshoot model is physically unreasonable and inconsistent with helioseismic investigations. An updated model of overshoot mixing was established recently. There is a key parameter in the model. In this paper, we use observations of four eclipsingbinary stars, i.e., HY Vir, YZ Cas, χ{sup 2} Hya, and VV Crv, to investigate a suitable value for the parameter. It is found that the value suggested by calibrations on eclipsingbinary stars is the same as the value recommended by other methods. In addition, we have studied the effects of the updated overshoot model on the stellar structure. The diffusion coefficient of convective/overshoot mixing is very high in the convection zone, then quickly decreases near the convective boundary, and exponentially decreases in the overshoot region. The low value of the diffusion coefficient in the overshoot region leads to weak mixing and a partially mixed overshoot region. Semi-convection, which appears in the standard stellar models of low-mass stars with convective cores, is removed by partial overshoot mixing.

We carried out light curve solutions of two eclipsing detached binaries on eccentric orbits observed by Kepler. The orbits and fundamental parameters of KIC 11619964 and KIC 7118545 were determined with a high accuracy by modeling of their photometric data. We found that the temperatures of their components differ by around 2000 K while the radii of their secondaries are more than twice smaller than those of the primaries. We detected a strange ''brightening'' of KIC 11619964 in the narrow phase range (±0.0005) around the center of the primary eclipse reaching to 0.018 mag in amplitude. This ''mid-eclipse brightening'' needs follow-up observations with good time resolution.

Although close binary stars are thought theoretically to play a major role in globular cluster dynamics, virtually no non-degenerate close binaries are known in clusters. We review the status of observations in this area, and report on two new programs which are finally yielding candidate systems suitable for further study. One of the objects, a close eclipsing system in omega Cen, is also a big straggler, thus finally proving firm evidence that globular cluster blue stragglers really are binary stars.

Eclipsingbinaries (EB) with well-calibrated photometry and precisely measured double-lined radial velocities are candidate standard candles when analyzed with a version of the Wilson-Devinney (WD) light curve modeling program that includes the direct distance estimation (DDE) algorithm. In the DDE procedure, distance is determined as a system parameter, thus avoiding the assumption of stellar sphericity and yielding a well-determined standard error for distance. The method therefore provides a powerful way to calibrate the distances of other objects in any aggregate that contains suitable EB's. DDE has been successfully applied to nearby systems and to a small number of EB's in open clusters. Previously we reported on one of the systems in our Binaries-in-Clusters program, HD27130 = V818 Tau, that had been analyzed with earlier versions of the WD program (see 1987 AJ 93, 1471; 1988 AJ 95, 1466; and 1995 AJ 109, 359 for examples). Results from those early solutions were entered as starting parameters in the current work with the WD 2013 version.Here we report several series of ongoing modeling experiments on a 1.01-d period, early type EB in the intermediate age cluster NGC 752. In one series, ranges of interstellar extinction and hotter star temperature were assumed, and in another series both component temperatures were adjusted. Consistent parameter sets, including distance, confirm DDE's advantages, essentially limited only by knowledge of interstellar extinction, which is small for DS And. Uncertainties in the bandpass calibration constants (flux in standard units from a zero magnitude star) are much less important because derived distance scales (inversely) only with the calibration's square root. This work was enabled by the unstinting help of Bob Wilson. We acknowledge earlier support for the Binaries-in-Clusters program from NSERC of Canada, and the Research Grants Committee and Department of Physics & Astronomy of the University of Calgary.

New photometry for two eclipsingbinaries, AX Cas and V1107 Cas, was carried out during the 2014-2015 observing season. With an updated version of the W-D program, photometric solutions were simultaneously derived from BV light curves. Results indicate that AX Cas is a semi-detached binary with a mass ratio of q=0.400(+/- 0.003) and a fill-out factor of {f}p=88.1(+/- 0.5)%, while V1107 Cas is a contact one with a mass ratio of q=0.667(+/- 0.003) and a degree of contact of f=11.3%(+/- 0.3%). Based on all collected times of light minimum together with newly observed data, we constructed the (O-C) curves for the two systems. From the period analysis, it is found that orbital period variations may evidently appear that show light-time effect. The modulated period and amplitude are {P}{mod}=17.63(+/- 0.17)\\quad {years} and A=0\\buildrel{{d}}\\over{.} 0133(+/- 0\\buildrel{{d}}\\over{.} 0016) for AX Cas and {P}{mod}=7.23(+/- 0.14)\\quad {years} and A=0\\buildrel{{d}}\\over{.} 0023(+/- 0\\buildrel{{d}}\\over{.} 0002) for V1107 Cas, respectively. From 26 EB/EW binaries with only cyclic variations, we derived the relation between periods and total masses, indicating that mass loss from the system occurs from the semi-detached configuration to the contact case. The cyclic oscillations for 22 sample stars (including AX Cas and V1107 Cas) may be attributed to third bodies. Additional companions could remove angular momentum from the central systems, which may play a key role in the evolutionary process.

We have studied a sample of selected eclipsingbinaries with eccentric orbits and accurate absolute dimensions in order to analyse the validity of available theories of tidal evolution concerning synchronization and circularization time scales. In the present investigation we pay special attention to stars with radiative envelopes though some stars with outer layers in convective equilibrium have been included to show different aspects of tidal evolution. In the present paper, we have adopted for the comparison with observational parameters, the tidal theory by Tasssoul (1987, 1988). The formalism introduced by Zahn (1977, 1989) will be the subject of a separate paper. The critical values of the age, log g and R for circularization and synchronization have been computed using a set of stellar models which include recent opacity libraries, core overshooting and mass loss. These values can be computed as a function of the orbital period for different masses. In this way, it is relatively simple to compare them with observational values and, therefore, to analyse the behaviour of parameters which indicate the actual situation, namely, the eccentricity and the rotational velocities. The comparison of observed rotational velocities with expected values for each binary system configuration has shown that nearly all systems in our sample are actually pseudo-synchronized with their orbital periods (i.e. with the fastest orbital velocity in eccentric systems) in good agreement with theoretical predictions. These results, however, should be taken with some caution since the rotation of the stellar interior may be decoupled from that of the surface layers. With respect to circularization, a cutoff value around log t=log t_cri_(or log g_obs_=log g_cri_) shows a satisfactory agreement for observational values of the eccentricity. Furthermore, we concluded that the circularization process is still active during the main sequence stage for early-type binaries.

We present the long term photometric variations of the classical Algol type binary XX Cep with a δ Scuti type pulsating component. Modeling of the system shows that the secondary component fills its Roche lobe. The derived physical and geometrical parameters of the system are M1=1.92M⊙, M2=0.36M⊙, R1=2.08R⊙, R2=2.39R⊙, L1=19.8L⊙, L2=2.1L⊙, a=9.8R⊙ and the distance of the system as 312(18) pc. We obtained five new times of minima. Analysis of the mid-eclipse times indicate a period decrease of dP/dt=-1.9(2)×10-8 days/yr that can be interpreted in terms of a mass transfer rate (dM/dt=-1.2(3)×10-9M⊙/yr) from the secondary to primary component. The O-C diagram formed from all available timings, and thus the orbital period of the system, can be partly represented as a beat effect between two cyclical variations with different periods (P1 = 48(1) yr, P2 = 81(4) yr). We used PHOEBE program for light curves analysis and after modeling, the eclipse and proximity effects were removed from the light curves to analyze intrinsic variations caused by components of the system. Frequency analysis was done by Period04 and the residuals represent the pulsation of a more massive component of the system XX Cep with a period of 0.031 days, confirming the results of Lee et al. (2007).

We analyze new photometric data for the Herbig Be eclipsingbinary TY CrA, which securely reveal the secondary eclipse, ~0.03 mag deep in y. From the light-curve solution and our previous spectroscopic data, absolute dimensions of the primary and secondary stars are derived. The masses are found to be M_1 = 3.16 +/- 0.02 M_⊙ and M_2 = 1.64 +/- 0.01 M_⊙, the radii are R_1 = 1.80 +/- 0.10 R_⊙ and R_2 = 2.08 +/- 0.14 R_⊙, the luminosities are L_1 = 67 +/- 12 L_⊙ and L_2 = 2.4 +/- 0.8 L_⊙, and the effective temperatures are T_1 = 12,000 +/- 500 K and T_2 = 4900 +/- 400 K. Here the uncertainties represent high-confidence limits, not standard deviations. The secondary star is a pre-main-sequence star located at the base of the Hayashi tracks. As such, it is the least evolved star with a dynamically measured mass. Given higher effective temperatures for the primary (e.g., 12,500 K), the solar-composition 1.64 M_⊙ evolutionary tracks of Swenson et al., Claret, and D'Antona & Mazzitelli are all consistent with the properties of the TY CrA secondary and suggest an age of order 3 Myr. The radius and projected rotational velocity of the secondary star are consistent with synchronous rotation. The primary star is located near the zero-age main sequence, which, for solar compositions, is consistent with an age of 3 Myr. However, the primary star is not well represented by any of the 3.16 M_⊙ evolutionary models, which predict somewhat higher effective temperatures than observed.

We report on the MASTER Global Robotic Net discovery of an eclipsingbinary, MASTER OT J095310.04+335352.8, previously known as unremarkable star TYC 2505-672-1, which displays extreme orbital parameters. The orbital period P = 69.1 yr is more than 2.5 times longer than that of ɛ-Aurigae, which is the previous record holder. The light curve is characterized by an extremely deep total eclipse with a depth of more than 4.5 mag, which is symmetrically shaped and has a total duration of 3.5 yr. The eclipse is essentially gray. The spectra acquired with the Russian 6 m BTA telescope both at minimum and maximum light mainly correspond to an M0-1III-type red giant, but the spectra taken at the bottom of eclipse show small traces of a sufficiently hot source. The observed properties of this system can be better explained as the red giant eclipsed by a large cloud (the disk) of small particles surrounding the invisible secondary companion.

GRS 1747-312 is a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary in the globular cluster Terzan 6, located at a distance of 9.5 kpc from the Earth. During its outbursts, periodic eclipses were known to occur. Observations for the outbursts were performed with Chandra in 2004 and Swift in 2013. XMM-Newton observed its quiescent state in 2004. In addition, when Suzaku observed it in 2009 as a part of Galactic center mapping observations, GRS 1747-312 was found to be in a low-luminosity state with Lx ˜ 1.2 × 1035 erg s-1. All of the observations except for XMM-Newton included the time of the eclipses predicted. We analyzed archival data of these observations. During the Chandra and Swift observations, we found clear flux decreases at the expected time of the eclipses. During the Suzaku observation, however, there were no clear signs for the predicted eclipses. The lapse of the predicted eclipses during the Suzaku observation can be explained by a contaminant source quite close to GRS 1747-312. When GRS 1747-312 is in the quiescent state, we observe X-rays from the contaminant source rather than from GRS 1747-312. However, we have no clear evidence for the contaminant source in our data. The lapse might also be explained by thick material (NH > 1024 cm-2) between the neutron star and the companion star, though the origin of the thick material is not clear.

GRS 1747-312 is a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary in the globular cluster Terzan 6, located at a distance of 9.5 kpc from the Earth. During its outbursts, periodic eclipses were known to occur. Observations for the outbursts were performed with Chandra in 2004 and Swift in 2013. XMM-Newton observed its quiescent state in 2004. In addition, when Suzaku observed it in 2009 as a part of Galactic center mapping observations, GRS 1747-312 was found to be in a low-luminosity state with Lx ˜ 1.2 × 1035 erg s-1. All of the observations except for XMM-Newton included the time of the eclipses predicted. We analyzed archival data of these observations. During the Chandra and Swift observations, we found clear flux decreases at the expected time of the eclipses. During the Suzaku observation, however, there were no clear signs for the predicted eclipses. The lapse of the predicted eclipses during the Suzaku observation can be explained by a contaminant source quite close to GRS 1747-312. When GRS 1747-312 is in the quiescent state, we observe X-rays from the contaminant source rather than from GRS 1747-312. However, we have no clear evidence for the contaminant source in our data. The lapse might also be explained by thick material (NH > 1024 cm-2) between the neutron star and the companion star, though the origin of the thick material is not clear.

Aims: We aim at constraining evolutionary models at low mass and young ages by identifying interesting transiting system members of the nearest OB association to the Sun, Upper Scorpius (USco), which has been targeted by the Kepler mission. Methods: We produced light curves for M-dwarf members of the USco region that has been surveyed during the second campaign of the Kepler K2 mission. We identified by eye a transiting system, USco J161630.68-251220.1 (=EPIC 203710387) with a combined spectral type of M5.25, whose photometric, astrometric, and spectroscopic properties makes it a member of USco. We conducted an extensive photometric and spectroscopic follow-up of this transiting system with a suite of telescopes and instruments to characterise the properties of each component of the system. Results: We calculated a transit duration of about 2.42 h that occurs every 2.88 days with a slight difference in transit depth and phase between the two components. We estimated a mass ratio of 0.922 ± 0.015 from the semi-amplitudes of the radial velocity curves for each component. We derived masses of 0.091 ± 0.005M⊙ and 0.084 ± 0.004M⊙, radii of 0.388 ± 0.008R⊙ and 0.380 ± 0.008R⊙, luminosities of log (L/L⊙) = -2.020-0.121+0.099 dex and -2.032-0.121+0.099 dex, and effective temperatures of 2901-172+199 K and 2908-172+199 K for the primary and secondary, respectively. Conclusions: We present a complete photometric and radial velocity characterisation of the least massive double-line eclipsingbinary system in the young USco association with two components close to the stellar/substellar limit. This system falls in a gap between the least massive eclipsingbinaries in the low-mass and substellar regimes at young ages and represents an important addition to constraining evolutionary models at young ages. Based on observations made with telescopes (GTC, WHT) installed in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de

The photometric detection of extrasolar planets by transits in eclipsingbinary systems can be significantly improved by cross-correlating the observational light curves with synthetic models of possible planetary transit features, essentially a matched filter approach. We demonstrate the utility and application of this transit detection algorithm for ground-based detections of terrestrial-sized (Earth-to-Neptune radii) extrasolar planets in the dwarf M-star eclipsingbinary system CM Draconis. Preliminary photometric observational data of this system demonstrate that the observational noise is well characterized as white and Gaussian at the observational time steps required for precision photometric measurements. Depending on planet formation scenarios, terrestrial-sized planets may form quite close to this low-luminosity system. We demonstrate, for example, that planets as small as 1.4 Earth radii with periods on the order of a few months in the CM Draconis system could be detected at the 99.9% confidence level in less than a year using 1-m class telescopes from the ground. This result contradicts commonly held assumptions limiting present ground-based efforts to, at best, detections of gas giant planets after several years of observation. This method can be readily extended to a number of other larger star systems with the utilization of larger telescopes and longer observing times. Its extension to spacecraft observations should also allow the determination of the presence of terrestrial-sized planets in nearly 100 other known eclipsingbinary systems.

We follow up on early, single coverage, UBVRcIc light curves (2013) and analyses. These early curves were taken in September 27 and 29 2011. Our present, BVRcIc, but full coverage light curves were taken on 6 nights: October 1,2,9, November 4,5, 2013 and January 4, 2014 by RGS, DBC, JDC, TS with the Dark Sky Observatory 0.81-m reflector of Appalachian State University and a (-40ºC) 2KX2K Apogee Alta CCD. Our present curves reveal V530 Andromedae as a totally eclipsing, shallow contact solar type binary rather than semidetached, near contact one. The newly determined times of minima include:HJD MinI = 2456566.84275 ±0.00007HJD MinII = 2456598.881995±0.0004, 24556600.6111±0.0002, 2456601.76665±0.00046.Using a new method of obtaining minima from earlier patrol light curves, in this case, NSVS, nine low weight timings of minimum light were added to the period study. Including these additional timings, we uncovered a period change. In our now, extended, period study over 9000 epochs, a 14.25 year interval, we find that the period is decreasing. This fits the scenario of magnetic breaking for solar type binaries. The temperatures of the primary and secondary components are estimated at 7000 and 6300 K, respectively, a large temperature difference for a contact binary. The fill-out, however, is a mere 4%. (Our earlier scant light curves modeled very nearly in contact.) The mass ratio, M2/M1, was found to be 0.385, almost identical with our first curves solution. The two star spots, probably magnetic in origin, were determined. A hot spot was modeled by the iterative process on the polar region of the smaller star. A cool spot is on the larger star facing the smaller star. The spot parameters have changed appreciably over the course of the two intervening years. We believe the binary has recently come into contact and thermal contact has not yet been achieved.

IUE observations made in 1978-1979 recorded a whole class of interacting long-period binaries similar to beta Lyrae, which includes RX Cas, SX Cas, V 367 Cyg, W Cru, beta Lyr, and W Ser, called the W Serpentis stars. These mass-transferring binaries with relatively high mass transfer rate show two prominent features in the far ultraviolet: a continuum with a color temperature higher than the one observed in the optical region (about 12,000 K), and a strong emission line spectrum with the N V doublet at 1240 A, C IV doublet at 1550 A and lines of Si II, Si III, Si IV, C II, Fe III, AI III, etc. These phenomena are discussed on the assumption that they are due to accretion onto non-degenerate stars.

We present a detailed investigation of the radial distribution of blue straggler star (BSS) and binary populations in the Galactic globular cluster NGC 5466, over the entire extension of the system. We used a combination of data acquired with the Advanced Camera for Survey on board the Hubble Space Telescope, the LBC-blue mounted on the Large Binocular Telescope, and MEGACAM on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. BSSs show a bimodal distribution with a mild central peak and a quite internal minimum. This feature is interpreted in terms of a relatively young dynamical age in the framework of the 'dynamical clock' concept proposed by Ferraro et al. The estimated fraction of binaries is ∼6%-7% in the central region (r < 90'') and slightly lower (∼5.5%) in the outskirts, at r > 200''. Quite interestingly, the comparison with the results of Milone et al. suggests that binary systems may also display a bimodal radial distribution, with the position of the minimum consistent with that of BSSs. If confirmed, this feature would give additional support to the scenario where the radial distribution of objects more massive than the average cluster stars is primarily shaped by the effect of dynamical friction. Moreover, this would also be consistent with the idea that the unperturbed evolution of primordial binaries could be the dominant BSS formation process in low-density environments.

We present precision CCD light curves, a period study, photometrically derived standard magnitudes, and a five-color simultaneous Wilson code solution of the totally eclipsing, yet shallow amplitude (A{sub v} {approx} 0.4 mag) eclipsing, binary V1853 Orionis. It is determined to be an extreme mass ratio, q = 0.20, W-type W UMa overcontact binary. From our standard star observations, we find that the variable is a late-type F spectral-type dwarf, with a secondary component of about 0.24 solar masses (stellar type M5V). Its long eclipse duration (41 minutes) as compared to its period, 0.383 days, attests to the small relative size of the secondary. Furthermore, it has reached a Roche lobe fill-out of {approx}50% of its outer critical lobe as it approaches its final stages of binary star evolution, that of a fast spinning single star. Finally, a summary of about 25 extreme mass ratio solar-type binaries is given.

We present a spectral analysis of the sdOB primary star of the binary system LB 3459 based on high-resolution high-S/N optical and UV spectra. The metal abundances are determined by means of state-of-the-art NLTE model atmospheres. We determined Teffw42 and log gw{5.2} within very small error limits. The He (1/125 solar), C (1/265), N (1/33), O (1/12), and Si (1/5) abundances appear strongly depleted while that of Fe and Ni are roughly solar and Mg is strongly enriched by a factor of 6. The spectroscopic distance to LB 3459 is d = 396 pc. The mass of the primary component of LB 3459 is 0.330 M_sun derived from comparisons with theoretical models for sdO stars in the log T_eff - \\log g plane. The mass of the secondary is then 0.066 M_sun derived from the mass function. There remains some disagreement between the radius derived from log g and the above mass, and that derived from analysis of the radial-velocity curve and the eclipse curves. LB 3459 is a close binary system which had experienced a common envelope (CE) phase during its evolution. It fits in the ``low mass case B'' scenario of Iben & Livio (1993) and the secondary is a brown dwarf. The spectroscopically determined rotational velocity of the primary is v_rot = 34 ± 10 km* sec-1. Thus even bound rotation (v_rot = 45.7 km* sec-1) cannot be ruled out. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile (proposals 55.D-0319, 56.C-0165) and on data retrieved from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) Final Archive.

New physical elements of the early B-type eclipsingbinary V346 Cen are derived using the HARPS spectra downloaded from the ESO archive and also numerous photometric observations from various sources. A model of the observed times of primary and secondary minima that fits them best is a combination of the apsidal motion and an abrupt decrease in the orbital period from 6.^d322123 to 6.^d321843 (shortening by 24 s), which occurred somewhere around JD 2 439 000. Assumption of a secularly decreasing orbital period provides a significantly worse fit. Local times of minima and the final solution of the light curve were obtained with the program PHOEBE. Radial velocities of both binary components, free of line blending, were derived via 2D cross-correlation with a program built on the principles of the program TODCOR. The oxygen lines in the secondary spectra are weaker than those in the model spectra of solar chemical composition. Using the component spectra disentangled with the program KOREL, we find that both components rotate considerably faster than would correspond to the synchronization at periastron. The apside rotation known from earlier studies is confirmed and compared to the theoretical value. Based on observations made with the ESO telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programmes ID 083.D-0040(A), 085.C-0614(A), and 178.D-0361(B).Tables A.2-A.6 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/591/A129

We introduce a new one-dimensional stellar evolution code, based on the existing Dartmouth code, that self-consistently accounts for the presence of a globally pervasive magnetic field. The methods involved in perturbing the equations of stellar structure, the equation of state, and the mixing-length theory of convection are presented and discussed. As a first test of the code's viability, stellar evolution models are computed for the components of a solar-type, detached eclipsingbinary (DEB) system, EF Aquarii, shown to exhibit large disagreements with stellar models. The addition of the magnetic perturbation corrects the radius and effective temperature discrepancies observed in EF Aquarii. Furthermore, the required magnetic field strength at the model photosphere is within a factor of two of the magnetic field strengths estimated from the stellar X-ray luminosities measured by ROSAT and those predicted from Ca II K line core emission. These models provide firm evidence that the suppression of thermal convection arising from the presence of a magnetic field is sufficient to significantly alter the structure of solar-type stars, producing noticeably inflated radii and cooler effective temperatures. The inclusion of magnetic effects within a stellar evolution model has a wide range of applications, from DEBs and exoplanet host stars to the donor stars of cataclysmic variables.

We observed the contact eclipsingbinary of DE Lyn using SARA 0.9 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory on February 9, 11, and 27, 2015. In this study, we obtained the first full phase coverage BVRI CCD light curves, analyzed the orbital period variation, and extracted the orbital parameters. We calculated the linear and quadratic ephemeris, and thereby found that DE Lyn has a decreasing orbital period rate of - 5.1(± 0.4) × 10-7 days/year. We assume this decreasing trend is the result of the more massive component (secondary) transferring mass to the less massive component (primary), and we obtained a mass transfer rate of dm / dt = 7.06 ×10-7M⊙ /year . By using the updated Wilson & Devinney program, we found the orbital parameters of DE Lyn, which, in turn, enabled us to calculate the low degree of contact factor as f = 9.02(± 0.01)%. In the future, its degree of contact will continue to increase and will evolve into an over-contact system.

We observed the contact eclipsingbinary of DE Lyn using SARA 0.9 meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory on February 9, 11, and 27, 2015. In this study, we obtained the first full phase coverage BVRI CCD light curves, analyzed the orbital period variation, and extracted the orbital parameters. We calculated the linear and quadratic ephemeris, and thereby found that DE Lyn has a decreasing orbital period rate of -5.1(±0.4)×10-7 days/year. We believe this decreasing trend is the result of the more massive component (secondary) transferring mass to the less massive component (primary), and we obtained a mass transfer rate of dm/dt = 7.06×10-7M⊙/year. By using the updated Wilson & Devinney program, we found the orbital parameters of DE Lyn, which, in turn, enabled us to calculate the low degree of contact factor as f = 9.02(± 0.01)%. Its degree of contact will continue to increase and will evolve into an over-contact system.

We have used high-resolution spectroscopy to observe the Kepler-16 eclipsingbinary as a double-lined system and measure precise radial velocities for both stellar components. These velocities yield a dynamical mass ratio of q = 0.2994 {+-} 0.0031. When combined with the inclination, i 90.{sup 0}3401{sup +0.0016}{sub -0.0019}, measured from the Kepler photometric data by Doyle et al. (D11), we derive dynamical masses for the Kepler-16 components of M{sub A} = 0.654 {+-} 0.017 M{sub Sun} and M{sub B} = 0.1959 {+-} 0.0031 M{sub Sun }, a precision of 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively. Our results confirm at the {approx}2% level the mass-ratio derived by D11 with their photometric-dynamical model (PDM), q = 0.2937 {+-} 0.0006. These are among the most precise spectroscopic dynamical masses ever measured for low-mass stars and provide an important direct test of the results from the PDM technique.

The Great Spiral Galaxy in Triangulum {M33} is a crucial calibrator for the Cosmic Distance Scale, and thus for determining the age and evolution of the Universe. M33 is viewed face-on, has a simple geometry, large and diverse stellar populations, and morphologies similar to our Galaxy and other more distant galaxies used for distance determinations. Yet currently the M33 distance {d 830 +/- 120 kpc} still has measurement dispersions of 10-15%. Moreover, the distance to M33 derived from Cepheids, RR Lyrae stars, H2O masers, RGB stars, and EBs is currently discrepant by 15% {Bonanos et al. 2006}. In our work on the LMC and M31 distances we have demonstrated that double-line eclipsingbinaries serve as excellent "standard candles." Distances derived from eclipsingbinaries are basically geometric and essentially free from many assumptions and uncertainties that plague other less direct methods, such as metallicity differences and calibration zeropoints. The absolute radii of the component stars of eclipsingbinaries can be determined to better than a few percent from the time-tested analyses of their light and radial velocity curves. With accurate determinations of radii, temperatures, and ISM absorption it is possible to determine reliable distances. In Cycle 15 we extended our program of using eclipsingbinaries as standard candles to M33 using ACS/SBS and WFPC/2 spectrophotometry of a well suited 19th mag O7+O7 eclipsingbinary system. Although insightful, ACS/SBC data alone do not provide sufficient accuracy for the unambigous determination of individual temperatures, [Fe/H], and ISM extinction, which are central to distance determination. We propose a 4 orbit follow-up spectrophotometry with the newly installed HST/COS G140L and the repaired HST/STIS G230L and G430L to obtain the single missing key element of this program. These quantities, when combined with the results from existing light and radial velocity curves for the target {cf. Bonanos et al. 2006

The EROS-2 microlensing survey has monitored about 88deg2 LMC discovering a large number of CCs, RR Lyrae stars, binaries and long period variables (LPVs), both in the centre and in the outer regions of the galaxy. The survey was carried out with the Marly 1-m telescope at ESO, La Silla, from 1996 July to 2003 February. Observations were performed in two wide passbands, the so-called REROS band centred close to the IC standard band, and the BEROS band intermediate between the standard V and R bands. (6 data files).

Low-mass white-dwarf stars are the remnants of disrupted red-giant stars in binary millisecond pulsars and other exotic binary star systems. Some low-mass white dwarfs cool rapidly, whereas others stay bright for millions of years because of stable fusion in thick surface hydrogen layers. This dichotomy is not well understood, so the potential use of low-mass white dwarfs as independent clocks with which to test the spin-down ages of pulsars or as probes of the extreme environments in which low-mass white dwarfs form cannot fully be exploited. Here we report precise mass and radius measurements for the precursor to a low-mass white dwarf. We find that only models in which this disrupted red-giant star has a thick hydrogen envelope can match the strong constraints provided by our data. Very cool low-mass white dwarfs must therefore have lost their thick hydrogen envelopes by irradiation from pulsar companions or by episodes of unstable hydrogen fusion (shell flashes). We also find that this low-mass white-dwarf precursor is a type of pulsating star not hitherto seen. The observed pulsation frequencies are sensitive to internal processes that determine whether this star will undergo shell flashes. PMID:23803845

We use photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eclipsingbinaries V65, V66, and V69 in the field of the globular cluster M4 to derive masses, radii, and luminosities of their components. The orbital periods of these systems are 2.29, 8.11, and 48.19 days, respectively. The measured masses of the primary and secondary components (M{sub p} and M{sub s} ) are 0.8035 {+-} 0.0086 and 0.6050 {+-} 0.0044 M{sub Sun} for V65, 0.7842 {+-} 0.0045 and 0.7443 {+-} 0.0042 M{sub Sun} for V66, and 0.7665 {+-} 0.0053 and 0.7278 {+-} 0/0048 M{sub Sun} for V69. The measured radii (R{sub p} and R{sub s} ) are 1.147 {+-} 0.010 and 0.6110 {+-} 0.0092 R{sub Sun} for V66, 0.9347 {+-} 0.0048 and 0.8298 {+-} 0.0053 R{sub Sun} for V66, and 0.8655 {+-} 0.0097 and 0.8074 {+-} 0.0080 R{sub Sun} for V69. The orbits of V65 and V66 are circular, whereas that of V69 has an eccentricity of 0.38. Based on systemic velocities and relative proper motions, we show that all three systems are members of the cluster. We find that the distance to M4 is 1.82 {+-} 0.04 kpc-in good agreement with recent estimates based on entirely different methods. We compare the absolute parameters of V66 and V69 with two sets of theoretical isochrones in mass-radius and mass-luminosity diagrams, and for assumed [Fe/H] = -1.20, [{alpha}/Fe] = 0.4, and Y = 0.25 we find the most probable age of M4 to be between 11.2 and 11.3 Gyr. Color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting with the same parameters yields an age close to, or slightly in excess of, 12 Gyr. However, considering the sources of uncertainty involved in CMD fitting, these two methods of age determination are not discrepant. Age and distance determinations can be further improved when infrared eclipse photometry is obtained.

Using the Danish 50cm telescope at La Silla we have obtained simultaneous uvby light curves of the eclipsingbinary TY CrA, located in the Corona Australis star-forming region. We have securely detected the secondary eclipse (2% depth in y). We have also obtained high-resolution (R=15000) echelle spectra in the red. Along with the primary spectrum, absorption lines of the secondary and a previously unknown tertiary component have been found. In particular, both the secondary and tertiary are detected at the Lithium 6708 Angstroms line. Based on temperature insensitive lines the tertiary/secondary luminosity ratio at ~ 6400 Angstroms is ~ 1.5. When combined with our previous single-lined orbital solution for the primary (Casey, B.W., Mathieu, R.D., Suntzeff, N.B., Lee, C.W., and Cardelli, J.A. 1993, Astron. Journal, 105, 2276) the secondary radial-velocity measurements provide a mass ratio of 0.521+/-0.007. Using a modified form of the Wilson-Devinney formalism, our light curve solution gives an inclination angle of 81°, masses and radii of (3.2 M_sun, 1.8 R_sun) and (1.7 M_sun, 2.3 R_sun) for the primary and secondary respectively. Based on both spectral classification and uvby colors we adopt a primary effective temperature of 12,000 +/- 500 K. Using Kurucz atmosphere models for both stars in the WD solution, we derive a temperature of 5,000 K for the secondary, thus fully specifying the system. The primary lies on the ZAMS, while the secondary lies at the base of the Hayashi tracks. The secondary provides the first dynamical mass calibration with which to test theoretical calculations of Hayashi tracks. We will evaluate several modern theoretical pre-main sequence evolutionary models with respect to TY CrA. The vsin i of the secondary spectrum is 40 km/sec, making the secondary rotation synchronous with the orbital motion. Given that the primary is remarkably subsynchronous (Casey et al. 1993 and new spectra), we conclude that the orbit was tidally circularized

We use photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eclipsingbinary V69-47 Tuc to derive the masses, radii, and luminosities of the component stars. Based on measured systemic velocity, distance, and proper motion, the system is a member of the globular cluster 47 Tuc. The system has an orbital period of 29.5d and the orbit is slightly eccentric with e = 0.056. We obtain M{sub p} = 0.8762 {+-} 0.0048 M {sub sun}, R{sub p} = 1.3148 {+-} 0.0051 R {sub sun}, L{sub p} = 1.94 {+-} 0.21 L {sub sun} for the primary and M{sub s} = 0.8588 {+-} 0.0060 M {sub sun}, R{sub s} = 1.1616 {+-} 0.0062 R {sub sun}, L{sub s} = 1.53 {+-} 0.17 L {sub sun} for the secondary. These components of V69 are the first Population II stars with masses and radii derived directly and with an accuracy of better than 1%. We measure an apparent distance modulus of (m - M) {sub V} = 13.35 {+-} 0.08 to V69. We compare the absolute parameters of V69 with five sets of stellar evolution models and estimate the age of V69 using mass-luminosity-age, mass-radius-age, and turnoff mass-age relations. The masses, radii, and luminosities of the component stars are determined well enough that the measurement of ages is dominated by systematic differences between the evolutionary models, in particular, the adopted helium abundance. By comparing the observations to Dartmouth model isochrones we estimate the age of V69 to be 11.25 {+-} 0.21(random) {+-} 0.85(systematic) Gyr assuming [Fe/H] = -0.70, [{alpha}/Fe] = 0.4, and Y = 0.255. The determination of the distance to V69, and hence to 47 Tuc, can be further improved when infrared eclipse photometry is obtained for the variable.

Context. Accurate physical properties of eclipsing stars provide important constraints on models of stellar structure and evolution, especially when combined with spectroscopic information on their chemical composition. Empirical calibrations of the data also lead to accurate mass and radius estimates for exoplanet host stars. Finally, accurate data for unusual stellar subtypes, such as Am stars, also help to unravel the cause(s) of their peculiarities. Aims: We aim to determine the masses, radii, effective temperatures, detailed chemical composition and rotational speeds for the Am-type eclipsingbinaries SW CMa (A4-5m) and HW CMa (A6m) and compare them with similar normal stars. Methods: Accurate radial velocities from the Digital Speedometers of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics were combined with previously published uvby photometry to determine precise physical parameters for the four stars. A detailed abundance analysis was performed from high-resolution spectra obtained with the Nordic Optical Telescope (La Palma). Results: We find the masses of the (relatively evolved) stars in SW CMa to be 2.10 and 2.24 M⊙, with radii of 2.50 and 3.01 R⊙, while the (essentially zero-age) stars in HW CMa have masses of 1.72 and 1.78 M⊙, radii of 1.64 and 1.66 R⊙ - all with errors well below 2%. Detailed atmospheric abundances for one or both components were determined for 14 elements in SW CMa ([Fe/H] = +0.49/+0.61 dex) and 16 in HW CMa ([Fe/H] = +0.33/+0.32 dex); both abundance patterns are characteristic of metallic-line stars. Both systems are well fit by current stellar evolution models for assumed bulk abundances of [Fe/H] = +0.05 and +0.23, respectively ([α/Fe] = 0.0), and ages of ~700 Myr and 160 Myr. Based on observations carried out with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) at La Palma, the 50 cm Strömgren Automatic Telescope (SAT) at ESO, La Silla, the 1.5 m Wyeth reflector at the Oak Ridge Observatory, Harvard, Massachusetts, USA, and the 1

The potential for direct measurement of the acceleration of stellar winds from the supergiant component of Zeta Aurigae-type binary stars is discussed. The aberration angle of the interaction shock cone centered on the hot star provides a measure of the velocity of the cool star wind at the orbit of the secondary. This is confirmed by direct observations of stellar wind (P Cygni) line profile variations. This velocity is generally smaller than the final (terminal) velocity of the wind, deduced from the P Cygni line profiles. The contrast between these results and previously published supergiant wind models is discussed. The implication on the physics of energy source dissipation predicted in the theoretical models is considered.

We present six new BVR{sub c}I{sub c} CCD light curves of a short-period RS CVn binary DV Psc obtained in 2010-2012. The light curve distortions change on both short and long timescales, which is explained by two starspots on the primary component. Moreover, five new flare events were detected and the flare ratio of DV Psc is about 0.082 flares per hour. There is a possible relation between the phases (longitude) of the flares and starspots for all of the available data of late-type binaries, which implies a correlation of the stellar activity of the spots and flares. The cyclic oscillation, with a period of 4.9 ± 0.4 yr, may result from the magnetic activity cycle, identified by the variability of Max. I-Max. II. Until now, there were no spectroscopic studies of chromospheric activity indicators of the H{sub β} and H{sub γ} lines for DV Psc. Our observations of these indicators show that DV Psc is active, with excess emissions. The updated O – C diagram with an observing time span of about 15 yr shows an upward parabola, which indicates a secular increase in the orbital period of DV Psc. The orbital period secularly increases at a rate of dP/dt = 2.0×10{sup –7} days yr{sup –1}, which might be explained by the angular momentum exchanges or mass transfer from the secondary to primary component.

The Low Mass X-ray Binary (LMXB) GRS 1747-312 is a part of the globular cluster Terzan 6, located at a distance of 9.5 kpc from the Earth. Based on previous observations performed with BeppoSAX and RXTE, recurrent outbursts are known to occur with an interval of about 130-142 days. During the outbursts, periodic eclipses were discovered. During an eclipsing event, its flux declined precipitously by two orders of magnitude compared to its pre-eclipsing state. The periodic nature and its characteristic decline imply that this is likely a bona fide eclipsing event by an orbiting star. The duration (d) and orbital period (P) were estimated to be d = 2596 sec and P = 0.514980303 days.To investigate further, observations for outbursts were performed with Chandra (2004) and Swift (2013). In addition, XMM-Newton (2004) and Suzaku (2009) caught it at the quiescent state. All of the observations except for XMM-Newton included the time of the eclipses predicted. We analyzed archival data of these observations. The measured 0.5-10 keV flux were 5.7 × 10-10 erg cm-2 s-1 (Chandra), 2.0 × 10-13 (XMM), 1.1 × 10-11 (Suzaku) and 4.4 × 10-10 (Swift). During the Chandra and Swift observations, we found a sudden declining in the observed flux at the expected time of the eclipses. During the Suzaku observation, however, there were no signs for the predicted eclipses.Except for the Suzaku observation, the spectra were well described with a combination of blackbody and Comptonized emission models, commonly used for fitting on the spectra of LMXBs. The Suzaku spectrum, on the other hand, could be described with a Comptonized component covered partially by an absorber with NH ˜ 1023 cm-2 and covering fraction of ˜ 0.9. The spectrum had been becoming softer during the Suzaku observation. The softening may be explained by gradual decrease in the column density and covering fraction of the absorber. The spectral interpretation was consistent with the vanishing of the eclipses: the heavy

We have obtained extensive high-quality spectroscopic observations of the OGLE-LMC-CEP-1718 eclipsingbinary system in the Large Magellanic Cloud that Soszyński et al. had identified as a candidate system for containing two classical Cepheids in orbit. Our spectroscopic data clearly demonstrate binary motion of the Cepheids in a 413 day eccentric orbit, rendering this eclipsingbinary system the first ever known to consist of 2 classical Cepheid variables. After disentangling the four different radial velocity variations in the system, we present the orbital solution and the individual pulsational radial velocity curves of the Cepheids. We show that both Cepheids are extremely likely to be first overtone pulsators and determine their respective dynamical masses, which turn out to be equal to within 1.5%. Since the secondary eclipse is not observed in the orbital light curve, we cannot derive the individual radii of the Cepheids, but the sum of their radii derived from the photometry is consistent with overtone pulsation for both variables. The existence of two equal-mass Cepheids in a binary system having different pulsation periods (1.96 and 2.48 days, respectively) may pose an interesting challenge to stellar evolution and pulsation theories, and a more detailed study of this system using additional data sets should yield deeper insight about the physics of stellar evolution of Cepheid variables. Future analysis of the system using additional near-infrared photometry might also lead to a better understanding of the systematic uncertainties in current Baade-Wesselink techniques of distance determinations to Cepheid variables.

Context. Double-lined eclipsingbinaries have often been adopted in literature to calibrate the extension of the convective-core overshooting beyond the border defined by the Schwarzschild criterion. Aims: In a robust statistical way, we quantify the magnitude of the uncertainty that affects the calibration of the overshooting efficiency parameter β that is owing to the uncertainty on the observational data. We also quantify the biases on the β determination that is caused by the lack of constraints on the initial helium content and on the efficiencies of the superadiabatic convection and microscopic diffusion. Methods: We adopted a modified grid-based SCEPtER pipeline to recover the β parameter from synthetic stellar data. Our grid spans the mass range [1.1; 1.6] M⊙ and evolutionary stages from the zero-age main sequence (MS) to the central hydrogen depletion. The β estimates were obtained by generalising the maximum likelihood technique described in our previous works. As observational constraint, we adopted the effective temperatures, [Fe/H], masses, and radii of the two stars. Results: By means of Monte Carlo simulations, adopting a reference scenario of mild overshooting β = 0.2 for the synthetic data, and taking typical observational errors into account, we found both large statistical uncertainties and biases on the estimated values of β. For the first 80% of the MS evolution, β is biased by about -0.04, with the 1σ error practically unconstrained in the whole explored range [0.0; 0.4]. In the last 5% of the evolution the bias vanishes and the 1σ error is about 0.05. The 1σ errors are similar when adopting different reference values of β. Interestingly, for synthetic data computed without convective-core overshooting, the estimated β is biased by about 0.12 in the first 80% of the MS evolution, and by 0.05 afterwards. Assuming an uncertainty of ±1 in the helium-to-metal enrichment ratio ΔY/ ΔZ, we found a large systematic uncertainty in the

BC Gruis is a W UMa type contact binary system of the W-subtype with the primary minimum 0.1 magnitudes fainter than the secondary minimum. The period is currently 0.3073060 ± 0.0000001 days; it was 4 seconds longer prior to 2000. There were small modulations of 0.001 - 0.003 days in the Observed-Calculated diagram due to asymmetry in the light curves, most likely caused by star spots. An astrophysical model of the system was developed with the mass ratio of 1.16 determined from published spectral data. The best fit to light curves in B, V and I pass bands in 2014-9-30 was given by including 2 large cool star spots on the more massive, cooler component and 1 cool spot on the hotter star. In 2015-9-8, the asymmetry in the light curves was different and was modelled best with a hot spot on the more massive component at the neck joining the stars and 1 cool spot on the other component.

We report the serendipitous discovery of a disk-eclipse system OGLE-LMC-ECL-11893. The eclipse occurs with a period of 468 days, a duration of about 15 days, and a deep (up to Δm{sub I} ≈ 1.5), peculiar, and asymmetric profile. A possible origin of such an eclipse profile involves a circumstellar disk. The presence of the disk is confirmed by the H-α line profile from the follow-up spectroscopic observations, and the star is identified as Be/Ae type. Unlike the previously known disk-eclipse candidates, the eclipses of OGLE-LMC-ECL-11893 retain the same shape throughout the span of ∼17 yr (13 orbital periods), indicating no measurable orbital precession of the disk.

We report extensive spectroscopic and differential photometric BVRI observations of the active, detached, 1.309-day double-lined eclipsingbinary IM Vir, composed of a G7-type primary and a K7 secondary. With these observations, we derive accurate absolute masses and radii of M {sub 1} = 0.981 +- 0.012 M {sub sun}, M {sub 2} = 0.6644 +- 0.0048 M {sub sun}, R {sub 1} = 1.061 +- 0.016 R {sub sun}, and R {sub 2} = 0.681 +- 0.013 R {sub sun} for the primary and secondary, with relative errors under 2%. The effective temperatures are 5570 +- 100 K and 4250 +- 130 K, respectively. The significant difference in mass makes this a favorable case for comparison with stellar evolution theory. We find that both stars are larger than the models predict, by 3.7% for the primary and 7.5% for the secondary, as well as cooler than expected, by 100 K and 150 K, respectively. These discrepancies are in line with previously reported differences in low-mass stars, and are believed to be caused by chromospheric activity, which is not accounted for in current models. The effect is not confined to low-mass stars: the rapidly rotating primary of IM Vir joins the growing list of objects of near-solar mass (but still with convective envelopes) that show similar anomalies. The comparison with the models suggests an age of 2.4 Gyr for the system, and a metallicity of [Fe/H] approx-0.3 that is consistent with other indications, but requires confirmation.

We report accurate values of several key quantities for the low-mass, 0.9968096 day period, double-lined eclipsingbinary V651 Cas. We determine accurate values for the masses, radii and temperatures of the primary and secondary as follows: M = 0.8553(81) solar masses, R = 0.957(17) solar radii, and effective temperature = 5733(100) K for the primary component, and M = 0.7564(48) solar masses, R = 0.771(15) solar radii, and effective temperature = 5113(105) for the secondary component, with formal uncertainties shown in parentheses. A comparison with the stellar evolution models from the Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Program suggests an age of 11(1) Gyr for a best-fit metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.2. While the isochrone mentioned correctly reproduces the measured radii and temperatures of the stars within the current uncertainties, we note that the secondary radius appears marginally larger and the temperature marginally cooler than models would predict. This is consistent with similar discrepancies found for other low-mass stars, generally accredited to surface activity. With further improvement in the measurement errors, and a spectroscopic measure of the metallicity, V651 Cas should be a valuable system for understanding the effects of magnetic activity on the global structure of low-mass stars and for providing guidance to improve stellar evolution models.This work was supported in part by the NSF REU and DoD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

We report on the discovery of a new X-ray pulsator, Swift J201424.9+152930 (Sw J2014). Owing to its X-ray modulation at 491 s, it was discovered in a systematic search for coherent signals in the archival data of the Swift X-ray Telescope. To investigate the nature of Sw J2014, we performed multiwavelength follow-up observations with space-borne (Swift and XMM-Newton) and ground-based (the 1.5-m Loiano Telescope and the 3.6-m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo) instruments. The X-ray spectrum of Sw J2014 can be described by a hard and highly absorbed (NH ˜ 5 × 1022 cm-2) power law (Γ ˜ 1). The optical observations made it possible to single out the optical counterpart to this source, which displays several variable emission lines and total eclipses lasting ≈20 min. Total eclipses of similar length were observed also in X-rays. The study of the eclipses, allowed us to infer a second periodicity of 3.44 h, which we interpret as the orbital period of a close binary system. We also found that the period has not significantly changed over a ˜7 yr timespan. Based on the timing signatures of Sw J2014, and its optical and X-ray spectral properties, we suggest that it is a close binary hosting an accreting magnetic white dwarf. The system is therefore a cataclysmic variable of the intermediate polar type and one of the very few showing deep eclipses.

We present new Spitzer IRAC/PU/MIPS photometry from 3.6 to 24 {mu}m, and new Gemini GMOS photometry at 0.48 {mu}m, of the young brown dwarf eclipsingbinary 2MASS J05352184-0546085, located in the Orion Nebula Cluster. No excess disk emission is detected. The measured fluxes at {lambda} {<=} 8 {mu}m are within 1{sigma} ({approx}<0.1 mJy) of a bare photosphere, and the 3{sigma} upper limit at 16 {mu}m is a mere 0.04 mJy above the bare photospheric level. Together with the known properties of the system, this implies the absence of optically thick disks around the individual components. It also implies that if any circumbinary disk is present, it must either be optically thin and extremely tenuous (10{sup -10} M {sub sun}) if it extends in to within {approx}0.1 AU of the binary (the approximate tidal truncation radius), or it must be optically thick with a large inner hole, >0.6-10 AU in radius depending on degree of flaring. The consequence in all cases is that disk accretion is likely to be negligible or absent. This supports the recent proposal that the strong H{alpha} emission in the primary (more massive) brown dwarf results from chromospheric activity, and thereby bolsters the hypothesis that the surprising T {sub eff} inversion observed between the components is due to strong magnetic fields on the primary. Our data also set constraints on the T {sub eff} of the components independent of spectral type, and thereby on models of the aforementioned magnetic field effects. We discuss the consequences for the derived fundamental properties of young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars in general. Specifically, if very active isolated young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars suffer the same activity/field related effects as the 2M0535-05 primary, the low-mass stellar/substellar initial mass function currently derived from standard evolutionary tracks may be substantially in error.

We examine the little-known phenomenon of orbitally modulated Si I emission at λ 3905.523 Å and λ 4102.936 Å in composite-spectrum binaries, with specific reference to ζ Aurigae (K4 Ib + B5 V). The emission is detected in the isolated spectrum of the B-type dwarf secondary, and while λ 4102 Å is heavily blended with Hδ, λ 3905 Å falls in the B-star's featureless continuum. The narrowness of the emission (vturb ≃ 6 km s-1) demonstrates that it originates in the upper photosphere or deep chromosphere of the K star primary. We propose that photoexcitation by the hot star's UV continuum, followed by recombination and cascades, leads to resonant scattering and subsequent pumping of lower opacity transitions in the singlet and triplet systems of Si I. This process channels the UV continuum into select narrow emission lines. We have also identified weaker photoexcited emission of Fe II at λ 3938.289 Å. The strengths, positions, and widths of the λ 3905 Å emission line vary with orbital phase owing to changes in the dilution of the irradiating flux and in the geometrical aspect of the irradiated hemisphere. Utilizing the inherent spatial resolution provided by the illuminated patch, and assuming that the K star is spherical with isotropic emission, yields vsin i ˜ 5.7 km s-1. Evidence of tidal distortion was deduced from the timing of the rapidly rising phase of the emission just after periastron. Increasing the diagnostic potential requires radiative transfer modelling of the formation and centre-to-limb variation of the emission.

This paper introduces a series of papers aiming to study the dozens of low-mass eclipsingbinaries (EBLM), with F, G, K primaries, that have been discovered in the course of the WASP survey. Our objects are mostly single-line binaries whose eclipses have been detected by WASP and were initially followed up as potential planetary transit candidates. These have bright primaries, which facilitates spectroscopic observations during transit and allows the study of the spin-orbit distribution of F, G, K+M eclipsingbinaries through the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. Here we report on the spin-orbit angle of WASP-30b, a transiting brown dwarf, and improve its orbital parameters. We also present the mass, radius, spin-orbit angle and orbital parameters of a new eclipsingbinary, J1219-39b (1SWAPJ121921.03-395125.6, TYC 7760-484-1), which, with a mass of 95 ± 2 Mjup, is close to the limit between brown dwarfs and stars. We find that both objects have projected spin-orbit angles aligned with their primaries' rotation. Neither primaries are synchronous. J1219-39b has a modestly eccentric orbit and is in agreement with the theoretical mass-radius relationship, whereas WASP-30b lies above it. Using WASP-South photometric observations (Sutherland, South Africa) confirmed with radial velocity measurement from the CORALIE spectrograph, photometry from the EulerCam camera (both mounted on the Swiss 1.2 m Euler Telescope), radial velocities from the HARPS spectrograph on the ESO's 3.6 m Telescope (prog ID 085.C-0393), and photometry from the robotic 60 cm TRAPPIST telescope, all located at ESO, La Silla, Chile. The data is publicly available at the CDS Strasbourg and on demand to the main author.Tables A.1-A.3 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgPhotometry tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/549/A18

Context: The components of the wide binary HIP 64030 = HD 113984 show a large (about 0.25 dex) iron content difference (Desidera et al. 2006). The positions of the components on the color magnitude diagram suggest that the primary is a blue straggler. Aims: We studied the abundance difference of several elements besides iron, and we searched for stellar and substellar companions around the components to unveil the origin of the observed iron difference. Methods: A line-by-line differential abundance analysis for several elements was performed for iron, while suitable spectral synthesis was performed for C, N, and Li. High precision radial velocities obtained with the iodine cell were combined with available literature data. Results: The analysis of additional elements shows that the abundance difference for the elements studied increases with increasing condensation temperature, suggesting that accretion of chemically fractionated material might have occurred in the system. Alteration of C and N likely due to CNO processing is also observed. We also show that the primary is a spectroscopic binary with a period of 445 days and moderate eccentricity. The minimum mass of the companion is 0.17~M⊙. Conclusions: .Two scenarios were explored to explain the observed abundance pattern. In the first, all abundance anomalies arise on the blue straggler. If this is the case, the dust-gas separation may have been occurred in a circumbinary disk around the blue straggler and its expected white dwarf companion, as observed in several RV Tauri and post AGB binaries. In the second scenario, accretion of dust-rich material occurred on the secondary. This would also explain the anomalous carbon isotopic ratio of the secondary. Such a scenario requires that a substantial amount of mass lost by the central binary has been accreted by the wide component. Further studies to compare the two scenarios are proposed. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory

Based on their relatively isolated environments, we argue that luminous blue variables (LBVs) must be primarily the product of binary evolution, challenging the traditional single-star view wherein LBVs mark a brief transition between massive O-type stars and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. If the latter were true, then LBVs should be concentrated in young massive clusters like early O-type stars. This is decidedly not the case. Examining locations of LBVs in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds reveals that, with few exceptions, LBVs systematically avoid clusters of O-type stars. In the Large Magellanic Cloud, LBVs are statistically much more isolated than O-type stars, and (perhaps most surprisingly) even more isolated than WR stars. This makes it impossible for LBVs to be single 'massive stars in transition' to WR stars. Instead, we propose that massive stars and supernova (SN) subtypes are dominated by bifurcated evolutionary paths in interacting binaries, wherein most WR stars and SNe Ibc correspond to the mass donors, while LBVs (and their lower-mass analogs like B[e] supergiants, which are even more isolated) are the mass gainers. In this view, LBVs are evolved massive blue stragglers. Through binary mass transfer, rejuvinated mass gainers get enriched, spun up, and sometimes kicked far from their clustered birthsites by their companion's SN. This scenario agrees better with LBVs exploding as Type IIn SNe in isolation, and it predicts that many massive runaway stars may be rapid rotators. Mergers or Thorne-Zykow objects might also give rise to LBVs, but these scenarios may have a harder time explaining why LBVs avoid clusters.

We present follow-up photometric observations in Sloan filters g', i' of the newly discovered eclipsing stars USNO-B1.0 1395-0370184 and USNO-B1.0 1395-0370731. Our data revealed that their orbital periods are considerably bigger than the previous values. This result changed the classification of USNO-B1.0 1395-0370184 from ultrashort-period binary (P=0.197 d) to short-period system (P=0.251 d). The light curve solutions of our observations revealed that USNO-B1.0 1395-0370184 and USNO-B1.0 1395-0370731 are overcontact binaries in which components are K dwarfs, close in masses and radii. The light curve distortions were reproduced by cool spots with angular radius of around 20°.

Time-series photometry of the CoRoT field SRa01 was carried out with the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope II in 2008/2009. A total of 1161 variable stars were detected, of which 241 were previously known and 920 are newly found. Several new, variable young stellar objects have been discovered. The study of the spatial distribution of eclipsingbinaries revealed the higher relative frequency of Algols toward the center of the young open cluster NGC 2264. In general Algol frequency obeys an isotropic distribution of their angular momentum vectors, except inside the cluster, where a specific orientation of the inclinations is the case. We suggest that we see the orbital plane of the binaries almost edge-on.

Time-series photometry of the CoRoT field SRa01 was carried out with the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope II in 2008/2009. A total of 1161 variable stars were detected, of which 241 were previously known and 920 are newly found. Several new, variable young stellar objects have been discovered. The study of the spatial distribution of eclipsingbinaries revealed the higher relative frequency of Algols toward the center of the young open cluster NGC 2264. In general Algol frequency obeys an isotropic distribution of their angular momentum vectors, except inside the cluster, where a specific orientation of the inclinations is the case. We suggest that we see the orbital plane of the binaries almost edge-on.

We determine the absolute dimensions of the eclipsingbinary V578 Mon, a detached system of two early B-type stars (B0V + B1V, P = 2.40848 days) in the star-forming region NGC 2244 of the Rosette Nebula. From the light curve analysis of 40 yr of photometry and the analysis of HERMES spectra, we find radii of 5.41 ± 0.04 R{sub ☉} and 4.29 ± 0.05 R{sub ☉}, and temperatures of 30,000 ± 500 K and 25,750 ± 435 K, respectively. We find that our disentangled component spectra for V578 Mon agree well with previous spectral disentangling from the literature. We also reconfirm the previous spectroscopic orbit of V578 Mon finding that masses of 14.54 ± 0.08 M{sub ☉} and 10.29 ± 0.06 M{sub ☉} are fully compatible with the new analysis. We compare the absolute dimensions to the rotating models of the Geneva and Utrecht groups and the models of the Granada group. We find that all three sets of models marginally reproduce the absolute dimensions of both stars with a common age within the uncertainty for gravity-effective temperature isochrones. However, there are some apparent age discrepancies for the corresponding mass-radius isochrones. Models with larger convective overshoot, >0.35, worked best. Combined with our previously determined apsidal motion of 0.07089{sub −0.00013}{sup +0.00021} deg cycle{sup –1}, we compute the internal structure constants (tidal Love number) for the Newtonian and general relativistic contribution to the apsidal motion as log k {sub 2} = –1.975 ± 0.017 and log k {sub 2} = –3.412 ± 0.018, respectively. We find the relativistic contribution to the apsidal motion to be small, <4%. We find that the prediction of log k {sub 2,theo} = –2.005 ± 0.025 of the Granada models fully agrees with our observed log k {sub 2}.

We present for the first time an analysis based on uvby light curves, Hβ indices and on new spectroscopic data of the massive detached double-lined O-type eclipsingbinary V 3903Sgr. The uvby light curves are analysed with the WINK (initial solutions) and the Wilson-Devinney (WD, final solution) programs. Both codes were used in their extended versions, with stellar atmospheres and taking into account the geometric distortions and photometric effects caused by proximity of the components. The spectroscopic CCD observations were analysed with the harmonic ``Wilsing-Russell'' and the ``Lehman-Filhes'' methods. We conclude that V 3903Sgr is one of the rare O-type detached systems where both components are still on the initial phases of the main sequence, with an age of either 1.6x10(6) yrs or 2.5x10(6) yrs (depending on the evolutionary model adopted) at a distance of ~1500pc, the same as for the Lagoon Nebula (Messier8) complex, of which the system is probably a member. We determine the absolute dimensions: M_A=27.27+/-0.55, R_A=8.088+/-% 0.086, M_B=19.01+/-0.44 and R_B=6.125+/-0.060 (solar units). There is no evidence of mass transfer and the system is detached. The orbit is circular, and both components show synchronous rotation, despite their early evolutionary stage. The absolute dimensions determined should be representative for normal single stars. Amongst the massive systems (M>17Msun) with precise absolute dimensions (errors <2%), V 3903Sgr is that with the most massive primary, with the largest mass difference between the components, and it is the youngest one. Based on data collected with the 60$\\,$cm and 1.6$\\,$m telescopes at the Pico dos Dias Observatory, Na\\-tional Laboratory of Astrophysics, LNA-CNPq, Bra\\-só\\-polis, MG, Brazil and with the Danish 50$\\,$cm telescope (SAT) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), La Silla, Chile

We report our investigation of the first transiting planet candidate from the YETI project in the young (˜4 Myr old) open cluster Trumpler 37. The transit-like signal detected in the lightcurve of F8V star 2M21385603+5711345 repeats every 1.364894±0.000015 days, and has a depth of 54.5±0.8 mmag in R. Membership in the cluster is supported by its mean radial velocity and location in the color-magnitude diagram, while the Li diagnostic and proper motion are inconclusive in this regard. Follow-up photometric monitoring and adaptive optics imaging allow us to rule out many possible blend scenarios, but our radial-velocity measurements show it to be an eclipsing single-lined spectroscopic binary with a late-type (mid-M) stellar companion, rather than one of planetary nature. The estimated mass of the companion is 0.15-0.44 M⊙. The search for planets around very young stars such as those targeted by the YETI survey remains of critical importance to understand the early stages of planet formation and evolution. Based in part on data collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Proposal ID H215Hr). The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation. Based on observations obtained with telescopes of the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC, Proposal IDs H10-3.5-015 and H10-2.2-004). Some of the observations reported here were obtained at

We use photometric and spectroscopic observations of the detached eclipsingbinaries V40 and V41 in the globular cluster NGC 6362 to derive masses, radii, and luminosities of the component stars. The orbital periods of these systems are 5.30 and 17.89 days, respectively. The measured masses of the primary and secondary components (Mp, Ms) are (0.8337 ± 0.0063, 0.7947 ± 0.0048) M⊙ for V40 and (0.8215 ± 0.0058, 0.7280 ± 0.0047) M⊙ for V41. The measured radii (Rp, Rs) are (1.3253 ± 0.0075, 0.997 ± 0.013) R⊙ for V40 and (1.0739 ± 0.0048, 0.7307 ± 0.0046) R⊙ for V41. Based on the derived luminosities, we find that the distance modulus of the cluster is 14.74 ± 0.04 mag—in good agreement with 14.72 mag obtained from color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting. We compare the absolute parameters of component stars with theoretical isochrones in mass-radius and mass-luminosity diagrams. For assumed abundances [Fe/H] = -1.07, [α/Fe] = 0.4, and Y = 0.25 we find the most probable age of V40 to be 11.7 ± 0.2 Gyr, compatible with the age of the cluster derived from CMD fitting (12.5 ± 0.5 Gyr). V41 seems to be markedly younger than V40. If independently confirmed, this result will suggest that V41 belongs to the younger of the two stellar populations recently discovered in NGC 6362. The orbits of both systems are eccentric. Given the orbital period and age of V40, its orbit should have been tidally circularized some ˜7 Gyr ago. The observed eccentricity is most likely the result of a relatively recent close stellar encounter. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Baade and Clay Telescopes, and the 2.5-m du Pont Telescope located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

Context. Rapid advancements in light-curve and radial-velocity curve modelling, as well as improvements in the accuracy of observations, allow more stringent tests of the theory of stellar evolution. Binaries with rapid apsidal advance are particularly useful in this respect since the internal structure of the stars can also be tested. Aims: Thanks to its long and rich observational history and rapid apsidal motion, the massive eclipsingbinary Y Cygrepresents one of the cornerstones of critical tests of stellar evolutionary theory for massive stars. Nevertheless, the determination of the basic physical properties is less accurate than it could be given the existing number of spectral and photometric observations. Our goal is to analyse all these data simultaneously with the new dedicated series of our own spectral and photometric observations from observatories widely separated in longitude. Methods: We obtained new series of UBV observations at three observatories separated in local time to obtain complete light curves of Y Cygfor its orbital period close to 3 days. This new photometry was reduced and carefully transformed to the standard UBV system using the HEC22 program. We also obtained new series of red spectra secured at two observatories and re-analysed earlier obtained blue electronic spectra. Reduction of the new spectra was carried out in the IRAF and SPEFO programs. Orbital elements were derived independently with the FOTEL and PHOEBE programs and via disentangling with the program KOREL . The final combined solution was obtained with the program PHOEBE . Results: Our analyses provide the most accurate value of the apsidal period of (47.805 ± 0.030) yr published so far and the following physical elements: M1 = 17.72 ± 0.35 M⊙, M2 = 17.73 ± 0.30 M⊙, R1 = 5.785 ± 0.091 R⊙, and R2 = 5.816 ± 0.063 R⊙. The disentangling thus resulted in the masses, which are somewhat higher than all previous determinations and virtually the same for both stars

A paradigm method to calibrate a range of standard candles by means of well-calibrated photometry of eclipsingbinaries in star clusters is the Direct Distance Estimation (DDE) procedure, contained in the 2010 and 2013 versions of the Wilson-Devinney light-curve modeling program. In particular, we are re-examining systems previously studied in our Binaries-in-Clusters program and analyzed with earlier versions of the Wilson-Devinney program. Earlier we reported on our use of the 2010 version of this program, which incorporates the DDE procedure to estimate the distance to an eclipsing system directly, as a system parameter, and is thus dependent on the data and analysis model alone. As such, the derived distance is accorded a standard error, independent of any additional assumptions or approximations that such analyses conventionally require. Additionally we have now made use of the 2013 version, which introduces temporal evolution of spots, an important improvement for systems containing variable active regions, as is the case for the systems we are studying currently, namely HD 27130 in the Hyades and DS And in NGC 752. Our work provides some constraints on the effects of spot treatment on distance determination of active systems.

We are entering an era of unprecedented quantities of data from current and planned survey telescopes. To maximize the potential of such surveys, automated data analysis techniques are required. Here we implement a new methodology for variable star classification, through the combination of Kohonen Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs, an unsupervised machine learning algorithm) and the more common Random Forest (RF) supervised machine learning technique. We apply this method to data from the K2 mission fields 0-4, finding 154 ab-type RR Lyraes (10 newly discovered), 377 δ Scuti pulsators, 133 γ Doradus pulsators, 183 detached eclipsingbinaries, 290 semidetached or contact eclipsingbinaries and 9399 other periodic (mostly spot-modulated) sources, once class significance cuts are taken into account. We present light-curve features for all K2 stellar targets, including their three strongest detected frequencies, which can be used to study stellar rotation periods where the observed variability arises from spot modulation. The resulting catalogue of variable stars, classes, and associated data features are made available online. We publish our SOM code in PYTHON as part of the open source PYMVPA package, which in combination with already available RF modules can be easily used to recreate the method.

A photometric study of BD And was made through the analysis of two sets of new BVR light curves. The light curves with migrating photometric waves outside eclipse show that BD And is a short-period RS CVn-type binary star. The analysis of all available timings reveals that the orbital period has varied in a strictly cyclical way with a period of 9.2 yr. The periodic variation most likely arises from the light-time effect due to a tertiary moving in a highly elliptical orbit (e {sub 3} = 0.76). The Applegate mechanism could not operate properly in the eclipsing pair. The light curves were modeled with two large spots on the hotter star and a large third light amounting to about 14% of the total systemic light. BD And is a triple system: a detached binary system consisting of two nearly equal solar-type stars with an active primary star and a G6-G7 tertiary dwarf. The absolute dimensions of the eclipsing pair and tertiary components were determined. The three components with a mean age of about 5.8 Gyr are located at midpositions in main-sequence bands. The radius of the secondary is about 17% larger than that deduced from stellar models. The orbital and radiometric characteristics of the tertiary are intensively investigated. One important feature is that the mutual inclination between two orbits is larger than 60°, implying that Kozai cycles had occurred very efficiently in the past. The possible past and future evolutions of the BD And system, driven by KCTF and MBTF, are also discussed.

We report the discovery of an eclipsing companion to NLTT 41135, a nearby M5 dwarf that was already known to have a wider, slightly more massive common proper motion companion, NLTT 41136, at 2.''4 separation. Analysis of combined-light and RV curves of the system indicates that NLTT 41135B is a (31-34) {+-} 3M{sub Jup} brown dwarf (where the range depends on the unknown metallicity of the host star) on a circular orbit. The visual M dwarf pair appears to be physically bound, so the system forms a hierarchical triple, with masses approximately in the ratio 8:6:1. The eclipses are grazing, preventing an unambiguous measurement of the secondary radius, but follow-up observations of the secondary eclipse (e.g., with the James Webb Space Telescope) could permit measurements of the surface brightness ratio between the two objects, and thus place constraints on models of brown dwarfs.

We present the discovery that UScoCTIO 5, a known spectroscopic binary in the Upper Scorpius star-forming region (P = 34 days, {M}{tot}{sin}(i)=0.64 {M}⊙ ), is an eclipsing system with both primary and secondary eclipses apparent in K2 light curves obtained during Campaign 2. We have simultaneously fit the eclipse profiles from the K2 light curves and the existing RV data to demonstrate that UScoCTIO 5 consists of a pair of nearly identical M4.5 stars with {M}A=0.329+/- 0.002 {M}⊙ , {R}A=0.834+/- 0.006 {R}⊙ , {M}B=0.317+/- 0.002 {M}⊙ , and {R}B=0.810+/- 0.006 {R}⊙ . The radii are broadly consistent with pre-main-sequence ages predicted by stellar evolutionary models, but none agree to within the uncertainties. All models predict systematically incorrect masses at the 25%-50% level for the HR diagram position of these mid-M dwarfs, suggesting significant modifications to mass-dependent outcomes of star and planet formation. The form of the discrepancy for most model sets is not that they predict luminosities that are too low, but rather that they predict temperatures that are too high, suggesting that the models do not fully encompass the physics of energy transport (via convection and/or missing opacities) and/or a miscalibration of the SpT-{T}{eff} scale. The simplest modification to the models (changing {T}{eff} to match observations) would yield an older age for this system, in line with the recently proposed older age of Upper Scorpius (τ ˜ 11 Myr).

We present the discovery with WISE of a significant infrared excess associated with the eclipsing post-common envelope binary SDSS J030308.35+005443.7, the first excess discovered around a non-interacting white dwarf+main-sequence M dwarf binary. The spectral energy distribution of the white dwarf+M dwarf companion shows significant excess longward of 3 {mu}m. A T {sub eff} of 8940 K for the white dwarf is consistent with a cooling age >2 Gyr, implying that the excess may be due to a recently formed circumbinary dust disk of material that extends from the tidal truncation radius of the binary at 1.96 R {sub Sun} out to <0.8 AU, with a total mass of {approx}10{sup 20} g. We also construct WISE and follow-up ground-based near-infrared light curves of the system and find variability in the K band that appears to be in phase with ellipsoidal variations observed in the visible. The presence of dust might be due to (1) material being generated by the destruction of small rocky bodies that are being perturbed by an unseen planetary system or (2) dust condensing from the companion's wind. The high inclination of this system and the presence of dust make it an attractive target for M dwarf transit surveys and long-term photometric monitoring.

We have analyzed the long-period, double-lined eclipsingbinary system OGLE SMC113.3 4007 (SC10 137844) in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The binary lies in the northeastern part of the galaxy and consists of two evolved, well-detached, non-active G8 giants. The orbit is eccentric with e = 0.311, and the orbital period is 371.6 days. Using extensive high-resolution spectroscopic and multi-color photometric data, we have determined a true distance modulus of the system of m - M = 18.83 {+-} 0.02 (statistical) {+-} 0.05 (systematic) mag using a surface-brightness-color relation for giant stars. This method is insensitive to metallicity and reddening corrections and depends only very little on stellar atmosphere model assumptions. Additionally, we derived very accurate, at the level of 1%-2%, physical parameters of both giant stars, particularly their masses and radii, making our results important for comparison with stellar evolution models. Our analysis underlines the high potential of late-type, double-lined detached binary systems for accurate distance determinations to nearby galaxies.

We present high-resolution observations of a sample of 75 K2 targets from Campaigns 1–3 using speckle interferometry on the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope and adaptive optics imaging at the Keck II telescope. The median SOAR I-band and Keck Ks-band detection limits at 1\\prime\\prime were {{Δ }}{m}I=4.4 mag and {{Δ }}{m}{Ks}=6.1 mag, respectively. This sample includes 37 stars likely to host planets, 32 targets likely to be eclipsingbinaries (EBs), and 6 other targets previously labeled as likely planetary false positives. We find nine likely physically bound companion stars within 3\\prime\\prime of three candidate transiting exoplanet host stars and six likely EBs. Six of the nine detected companions are new discoveries. One of these new discoveries, EPIC 206061524, is associated with a planet candidate. Among the EB candidates, companions were only found near the shortest period ones (P\\lt 3 days), which is in line with previous results showing high multiplicity near short-period binary stars. This high-resolution data, including both the detected companions and the limits on potential unseen companions, will be useful in future planet vetting and stellar multiplicity rate studies for planets and binaries.

Relativistic Lense-Thirring precession of a tilted inner accretion disk around a compact object has been proposed as a mechanism for low-frequency ({approx}0.01-70 Hz) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the light curves of X-ray binaries. A substantial misalignment angle ({approx}15 Degree-Sign -20 Degree-Sign ) between the inner-disk rotation axis and the compact-object spin axis is required for the effects of this precession to produce observable modulations in the X-ray light curve. A consequence of this misalignment is that in high-inclination X-ray binaries the precessing inner disk will quasi-periodically intercept our line of sight to the compact object. In the case of neutron-star systems, this should have a significant observational effect, since a large fraction of the accretion energy is released on or near the neutron-star surface. In this Letter, I suggest that this specific effect of Lense-Thirring precession may already have been observed as {approx}1 Hz QPOs in several dipping/eclipsing neutron-star X-ray binaries.

Eclipse retinopathy is a condition with macular damage resulting from viewing of a solar eclipse. This case report illustrates how eclipse retinopathy was diagnosed with a delay of more than 30 years. The report also summarises how solar eclipse can be observed without risk of retinal damage. PMID:25394922

DIRECT is a project to directly obtain the distances to two Local Group galaxies, M31 and M33, which occupy a crucial position near the bottom of the cosmological distance ladder. As the first step of the DIRECT project, we have searched for detached eclipsingbinaries (DEBs) and new Cepheids in the M31 and M33 galaxies with 1 m class telescopes. In this paper, we present a catalog of variable stars discovered in the data from the follow-up observations of the DEB system D33J013346.2+304439.9 in field M33A (α=23.55d, δ=30.72d J2000.0), collected with the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 2.1 m telescope. In our search covering an area of 108 arcmin2, we have found 434 variable stars: 63 eclipsingbinaries, 305 Cepheids, and 66 other periodic, possible long-period, or nonperiodic variables. Of these variables, 280 are newly discovered, mainly short-period and/or faint Cepheids. Their light curves were extracted using the ISIS image subtraction package. For 85% of the variables, we present light curves in standard V and B magnitudes, with the remaining 15% expressed in units of differential flux. We have discovered a population of first-overtone Cepheid candidates, and for eight of them we present strong arguments in favor of this interpretation. We also report on the detection of a nonlinearity in the KPNO T2KA and T1KA cameras. The catalog of variables, as well as their photometry (~7.8×104 BV measurements) and finding charts, is available electronically via anonymous ftp and the World Wide Web. The complete set of the CCD frames is available upon request. Based on observations obtained with the 2.1 m telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.

DIRECT is a project to obtain directly the distances to two Local Group galaxies, M31 and M33, which occupy a crucial position near the bottom of the cosmological distance ladder. As the first step of the DIRECT project we have searched for detached eclipsingbinaries (DEBs) and new Cepheids in the M31 and M33 galaxies with 1 m class telescopes. In this eighth paper we present a catalog of variable stars discovered in the data from the follow-up observations of DEB system D33J013337.0+303032.8 in field M33B [(α,δ)=(23.48d,30.57d), J2000.0], collected with the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1 m telescope. In our search covering an area of 108 arcmin2 we have found 895 variable stars: 96 eclipsingbinaries, 349 Cepheids, and 450 other periodic, possibly long-period or nonperiodic variables. Of these variables 612 are newly discovered. Their light curves were extracted using the ISIS image subtraction package. For 77% of the variables we present light curves in standard V and B magnitudes, with the remaining 23% expressed in units of differential flux. We have discovered a population of first-overtone Cepheid candidates, and for six of them we present strong arguments in favor of this interpretation. The catalog of variables, as well as their photometry (about 9.2×104 BV measurements) and finding charts, is available electronically via anonymous ftp and the World Wide Web. The complete set of the CCD frames is available upon request. Based on observations obtained with the 2.1 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

We present an analysis of a new detached eclipsingbinary, OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The system consists of two late G-type giant stars on an eccentric orbit with an orbital period of ∼200 days. The system shows total eclipses and the components have similar temperatures, making it ideal for a precise distance determination. Using multi-color photometric and high resolution spectroscopic data, we have performed an analysis of light and radial velocity curves simultaneously using the Wilson–Devinney code. We derived orbital and physical parameters of the binary with a high precision of \\lt 1%. The masses and surface metallicities of the components are virtually the same and equal to 2.23+/- 0.02 {M}ȯ and [{Fe}/{{H}}]\\=\\-0.63+/- 0.10 dex. However, their radii and rates of rotation show a distinct trace of differential stellar evolution. The distance to the system was calculated using an infrared calibration between V-band surface brightness and (V–K) color, leading to a distance modulus of (m-M)\\=\\18.452+/- 0.023 (statistical) ± 0.046 (systematic). Because OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658 is located relatively far from the LMC barycenter, we applied a geometrical correction for its position in the LMC disk using the van der Marel et al. model of the LMC. The resulting barycenter distance to the galaxy is {d}{{LMC}}\\=\\50.30+/- 0.53 (stat.) kpc, and is in perfect agreement with the earlier result of Pietrzyński et al.

We present the first detailed analysis of the detached eclipsingbinary V15 in the super-metal rich open cluster NGC 6253. We obtain the following absolute parameters: Mp=1.303±0.006 MSun, Rp=1.71±0.03 RSun, Lp=2.98±0.10 LSun for the primary, and Ms=1.225±0.006 MSun, Rs=1.44±0.02 RSun, Ls=2.13±0.06 LSun for the secondary. Based on Dartmouth isochrones, the age of NGC 6253 is estimated to be 3.80-4.25 Gyr from the mass-radius diagram and 3.9-4.6 Gyr from color-magnitude diagram fitting. Both of these estimates are significantly higher than those reported so far. The derived apparent distance modulus of 11.65 mag agrees well with the range of 10.9-12.2 mag derived by other authors; however our estimated reddening (0.113 mag) is lower than the lowest published value (0.15 mag). We confirm earlier observations that model atmospheres are not accurate enough to account for the whole CMD of the cluster, with the largest discrepancies appearing on the subgiant and giant branches. Although age estimation from the mass-radius diagram is a relatively safe, distance- and reddening-independent procedure, our results should be verified by photometric and spectroscopic observations of additional detached eclipsingbinaries which we have discovered, at least two of which are proper-motion members of NGC 6253.

We present an analysis of a new detached eclipsingbinary, OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The system consists of two late G-type giant stars on an eccentric orbit with an orbital period of ˜200 days. The system shows total eclipses and the components have similar temperatures, making it ideal for a precise distance determination. Using multi-color photometric and high resolution spectroscopic data, we have performed an analysis of light and radial velocity curves simultaneously using the Wilson–Devinney code. We derived orbital and physical parameters of the binary with a high precision of \\lt 1%. The masses and surface metallicities of the components are virtually the same and equal to 2.23+/- 0.02 {M}ȯ and [{Fe}/{{H}}]\\=\\-0.63+/- 0.10 dex. However, their radii and rates of rotation show a distinct trace of differential stellar evolution. The distance to the system was calculated using an infrared calibration between V-band surface brightness and (V–K) color, leading to a distance modulus of (m-M)\\=\\18.452+/- 0.023 (statistical) ± 0.046 (systematic). Because OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658 is located relatively far from the LMC barycenter, we applied a geometrical correction for its position in the LMC disk using the van der Marel et al. model of the LMC. The resulting barycenter distance to the galaxy is {d}{{LMC}}\\=\\50.30+/- 0.53 (stat.) kpc, and is in perfect agreement with the earlier result of Pietrzyński et al.

We applied the BEER algorithm to the CoRoT lightcurves from the first five LRc fields and identified 481 non-eclipsing BEER candidates with periodic lightcurve modulations and amplitudes of 0.5 - 87 mmag. Medium-resolution spectra of 281 candidates were obtained in a seven-night AAOmega radial-velocity (RV) campaign, with a precision of ˜ 1 km/s. The RVs confirmed the binarity of 70 of the BEER candidates, with periods of 0.3 - 10 days.

Aims: We present the results of our detailed spectroscopic and photometric analysis of two previously unknown <1 M_⊙ detached eclipsingbinaries: ASAS J045304-0700.4 and ASAS J082552-1622.8. Methods: With the HIgh Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) on the Keck-I telescope, we obtained spectra of both objects covering large fractions of orbits of the systems. We also obtained V and I band photometry with the 1.0-m Elizabeth telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The orbital and physical parameters of the systems were derived with the PHOEBE and JKTEBOP codes. We investigated the evolutionary status of both binaries with several sets of widely-used isochrones. Results: Our modelling indicates that (1) ASAS J045304-0700.4 is an old, metal-poor, active system with component masses of M1 = 0.8338 ± 0.0036 M⊙, M2 = 0.8280 ± 0.0040 M⊙ and radii of R1 = 0.848 ± 0.005 R⊙ and R2 = 0.833 ± 0.005 R⊙, which places it at the end of the Main Sequence evolution - a stage rarely observed for this type of stars. (2) ASAS J082552-1622.8 is a metal-rich, active binary with component masses of M1 = 0.7029 ± 0.0045 M⊙, M2 = 0.6872 ± 0.0049 M⊙ and radii of R1 = 0.694+0.007-0.011 R⊙ and R2 = 0.699+0.011-0.014 R⊙. Both systems show significant out-of-eclipse variations, probably owing to large, cold spots. We also investigated the influence of a third light in the second system. Light curves are only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/526/A29

Photometry based on a mosaic of CCD images in B and V is presented for the globular cluster NGC 288. The spatial coverage ranges from the cluster core to about 6 core radii, and stars have been measured over the absolute visual magnitude range -1.2 to 8.4. The cluster is shown to contain a significant number of blue straggler stars in the central regions, and there is an excess of objects brighter and redder than the single-star main-sequence in the color-magnitude plane. These objects are interpreted as a population of main-sequence binary stars. With this interpretation, the explicity measured fraction of binary stars is 10 percent, which sets a lower limit for the total binary population.

... article title: Capturing the Motion of an Eclipse Shadow View Larger Image ... eclipse where an observer on Earth can watch the Moon's shadow obscure more than 90% the Sun's disk, the Multiangle Imaging ...

We report the discovery of an eclipsingbinary - PTF1 J072456+125301- composed of a subdwarf B (sdB) star (g' = 17.2m) with a faint companion. Subdwarf B stars are core helium-burning stars, which can be found on the extreme horizontal branch. About half of them reside in close binary systems, but few are known to be eclipsing, for which fundamental stellar parameters can be derived. We conducted an analysis of photometric data and spectra from the Palomar 60'' and the 200'' Hale telescope, respectively. A quantitative spectral analysis found an effective temperature of Teff = 33 900 ± 350 K, log g = 5.74 ± 0.08, and log (nHe/nH) = -2.02 ± 0.07, typical for an sdB star. The companion does not contribute to the optical light of the system, except through a distinct reflection effect. From the light curve an orbital period of 0.09980(25) d and a system inclination of 83.56 ± 0.30° were derived. The radial velocity curve yielded an orbital semi-amplitude of K1 = 95.8 ± 8.1 km s-1. The mass for the M-type dwarf companion is 0.155 ± 0.020 M⊙. PTF1 J072456+125301 has similar atmospheric parameters to those of pulsating sdB stars (V346 Hya stars). Therefore it could be a high-priority object for asteroseismology, if pulsations were detected such as in the enigmatic case of NY Vir. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Aims: We aim to derive the absolute parameters of the components of AD And, AL Cam, and V338 Her, interpret their orbital period changes and discuss their evolutionary status. Methods: New and complete multi-filter light curves of the eclipsingbinaries AD And, AL Cam, and V338 Her were obtained and analysed with modern methods. Using all reliably observed times of minimum light, we examined orbital period irregularities using the least squares method. In addition, we acquired new spectroscopic observations during the secondary eclipses for AL Cam and V338 Her. Results: For AL Cam and V338 Her, we derive reliable spectral types for their primary stars. Statistical checks of orbital period analysis for all systems are very reassuring in the cases of V338 Her and AD And, although less so for AL Cam. The LIght-Time Effect (LITE) results are checked by inclusion of a third light option in the photometric analyses. Light curve solutions provide the means to calculate the absolute parameters of the components of the systems and reliably estimate their present evolutionary status. Conclusions: AL Cam and V338 Her are confirmed as classical Algols of relatively low mass in similar configurations. Unlike AL Cam, however, V338 Her is still transferring matter between its components, raising interest in the determinability of the evolutionary histories of Algols. AD And is found to be a detached system in which both close stars are of age ~109 yr and is probably a "non-classical" young triple, at an interesting stage of its dynamical evolution. The spectra and reduced photometric data are available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/539/A129

Swift J1749.4-2807 is a transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary that contains an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar spinning at 518 Hz. It is the first of its kind that displays X-ray eclipses, which holds significant promise to precisely constrain the mass of the neutron star. We report on a {approx_equal} 105 ks long XMM-Newton observation performed when Swift J1749.4-2807 was in quiescence. We detect the source at a 0.5-10 keV luminosity of {approx_equal}1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 33}(D/6.7 kpc){sup 2} erg s{sup -1}. The X-ray light curve displays three eclipses that are consistent in orbital phase and duration with the ephemeris derived during outburst. Unlike most quiescent neutron stars, the X-ray spectrum can be adequately described with a simple power law, while a pure-hydrogen atmosphere model does not fit the data. We place an upper limit on the 0.01-100 keV thermal luminosity of the cooling neutron star of {approx}< 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 33} erg s{sup -1} and constrain its temperature to be {approx}< 0.1 keV (for an observer at infinity). Timing analysis does not reveal evidence for X-ray pulsations near the known spin frequency of the neutron star or its first overtone with a fractional rms of {approx}< 34% and {approx}< 28%, respectively. We discuss the implications of our findings for dynamical mass measurements, the thermal state of the neutron star, and the origin of the quiescent X-ray emission.

In this paper we present the results of a FUSE monitoring campaign of the SMC WO4+O4 V Wolf-Rayet binary Sanduleak 1. Our 18 spectra obtained during a little more than one orbital cycle in 2000 October combined with four archival spectra show variability in the S VI, C III, C IV, and O VI P Cygni profiles, which we attribute to emission from the shock cone resulting from the collision between the two strong winds and to atmospheric eclipses of the O star continuum light by the W-R wind. All the lines vary in concert indicating that the cooling is such that even lines such as the OVI λλ1032, 1038 doublet form in the linear part of the cone. We have also applied both a simple geometrical model and profile fits, including emission from the normal wind, extra emission from the shock cone, and the atmospheric eclipse. Adopting an orbital inclination of ~40°, we deduce a total cone opening angle of ~80° and a streaming velocity for the gas along the shock cone of ~3000 km s-1. The luminosity ratio required to fit our spectra is LO/LW-R=3.5, and the stellar radii are 3.5 and 12 Rsolar, respectively, for the W-R and O stars. We also present radiative driving models for this binary system having two massive stars with strong winds and discuss radiative inhibition and braking effects. In particular, we address the coupling of the O star radiation with the W-R star wind. Finally, we present a PICA hydrodynamic colliding-wind model for Sand 1. We find an opening angle for the shock cone similar to that deduced from the line-profile fitting, but significantly longer cooling lengths along the shock cone. However, the model reveals some cold gas that is stripped off the O4 surface and mixed with the hotter WO4 material, thereby accelerating its cooling. This could very well explain why shorter cooling lengths are inferred from the profile fits. Based on observations made with the NASA-CNES-CSA Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. FUSE is operated for NASA by Johns Hopkins

We present a detailed study of the classical Cepheid in the double-lined, highly eccentric eclipsingbinary system OGLE-LMC562.05.9009. The Cepheid is a fundamental mode pulsator with a period of 2.988 days. The orbital period of the system is 1550 days. Using spectroscopic data from three 4-8-m telescopes and photometry spanning 22 years, we were able to derive the dynamical masses and radii of both stars with exquisite accuracy. Both stars in the system are very similar in mass, radius, and color, but the companion is a stable, non-pulsating star. The Cepheid is slightly more massive and bigger (M1 = 3.70 ± 0.03 M⊙, R1 = 28.6 ± 0.2 R⊙) than its companion (M2 = 3.60 ± 0.03 M⊙, R2 = 26.6 ± 0.2 R⊙). Within the observational uncertainties both stars have the same effective temperature of 6030 ± 150 K. Evolutionary tracks place both stars inside the classical Cepheid instability strip, but it is likely that future improved temperature estimates will move the stable giant companion just beyond the red edge of the instability strip. Within current observational and theoretical uncertainties, both stars fit on a 205 Myr isochrone arguing for their common age. From our model, we determine a value of the projection factor of p = 1.37 ± 0.07 for the Cepheid in the OGLE-LMC562.05.9009 system. This is the second Cepheid for which we could measure its p-factor with high precision directly from the analysis of an eclipsingbinary system, which represents an important contribution toward a better calibration of Baade-Wesselink methods of distance determination for Cepheids. This research is based on observations obtained with the ESO VLT, 3.6 m and NTT telescopes for Programmes 092.D-0295(A), 091.D-0393(A), 089.D-0330(A), 088.D-0447(A), 086.D-0103(A) and 085.D-0398(A)), and with the Magellan Clay and Warsaw telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory.

We present the orbital and physical parameters of a newly discovered low-mass detached eclipsingbinary from the All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) data base: ASAS J011328-3821.1 A, which is a member of a visual binary system with the secondary component separated by about 1.4 arcsec. The radial velocities have been calculated from the high-resolution spectra obtained with the 1.9-m Radcliffe telescope/Grating Instrument for Radiation Analysis with a Fibre-Fed Echelle (GIRAFFE) spectrograph, the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT)/University College London Echelle Spectrograph (UCLES) and the 3.0-m Shane telescope/Hamilton Spectrograph (HamSpec) on the basis of the TODCOR technique and the positions of the Hα emission lines. For the analysis, we have used V- and I-band photometry obtained with the 1.0-m Elizabeth telescope and the 0.41-m Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes (PROMPT), supplemented with the publicly available ASAS light curve of the system. We have found that ASAS J011328-3821.1 A is composed of two late-type dwarfs, which have masses of M1 = 0.612 ± 0.030 M⊙ and M2 = 0.445 ± 0.019 M⊙ and radii of R1 = 0.596 ± 0.020 R⊙ and R2 = 0.445 ± 0.024 R⊙. Both show a substantial level of activity, which manifests in strong Hα and Hβ emission and the presence of cool spots. The influence of the third light on the eclipsing pair properties has also been evaluated and the photometric properties of component B have been derived. A comparison with several popular stellar evolution models shows that the system is on its main-sequence evolution stage and that it is probably more metal-rich than the Sun. We have also found several clues to suggest that component B itself is a binary composed of two nearly identical ˜0.5-M⊙ stars.

We have analyzed Kepler light curves for 849 stars with T{sub eff} {<=} 5200 K from our Cycle 1 Guest Observer program. We identify six new eclipsingbinaries, one of which has an orbital period of 29.91 days and two of which are probably W UMa variables. In addition, we identify a candidate 'warm Jupiter' exoplanet. We further examine a subset of 670 sources for variability. Of these objects, 265 stars clearly show periodic variability that we assign to rotation of the low-mass star. At the photometric precision level provided by Kepler, 251 of our objects showed no evidence for variability. We were unable to determine periods for 154 variable objects. We find that 79% of stars with T{sub eff} {<=} 5200 K are variable. The rotation periods we derive for the periodic variables span the range 0.31 days {<=} P{sub rot} {<=} 126.5 days. A considerable number of stars with rotation periods similar to the solar value show activity levels that are 100 times higher than the Sun. This is consistent with results for solar-like field stars. As has been found in previous studies, stars with shorter rotation periods generally exhibit larger modulations. This trend flattens beyond P{sub rot} = 25 days, demonstrating that even long-period binaries may still have components with high levels of activity and investigating whether the masses and radii of the stellar components in these systems are consistent with stellar models could remain problematic. Surprisingly, our modeling of the light curves suggests that the active regions on these cool stars are either preferentially located near the rotational poles, or that there are two spot groups located at lower latitudes, but in opposing hemispheres.

We performed a new and accurate fit of light and radial velocity curves of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Cepheid-OGLE-LMC-CEP-0227-belonging to a detached double-lined eclipsingbinary system. We computed several sets of nonlinear, convective models covering a broad range in stellar mass, effective temperature, and chemical composition. The comparison between theory and observations indicates that current theoretical framework accounts for luminosity-V and I band-and radial velocity variations over the entire pulsation cycle. Predicted pulsation mass-M = 4.14 {+-} 0.06 M{sub Sun }-and mean effective temperature-T{sub e} = 6100 {+-} 50 K-do agree with observed estimates with an accuracy better than 1{sigma}. The same outcome applies, on average, to the luminosity amplitudes and to the mean radius. We find that the best-fit solution requires a chemical composition that is more metal-poor than typical LMC Cepheids (Z = 0.004 versus 0.008) and slightly helium enhanced (Y = 0.27 versus 0.25), but the sensitivity to He abundance is quite limited. Finally, the best-fit model reddening-E(V - I) = 0.171 {+-} 0.015 mag-and the true distance modulus corrected for the barycenter of the LMC-{mu}{sub 0,LMC} = 18.50 {+-} 0.02 {+-} 0.10 (syst) mag-agree quite well with similar estimates in the recent literature.

Based on their relatively isolated environments, we argue that luminous blue variables (LBVs) must be primarily the product of binary evolution, challenging the traditional single-star view wherein LBVs mark a brief transition between massive O-type stars and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. If the latter were true, then LBVs should be concentrated in young massive clusters like early O-type stars. This is decidedly not the case. Examining locations of LBVs in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds reveals that, with only a few exceptions, LBVs systematically avoid clusters of O-type stars. In the Large Magellanic Cloud, LBVs are statistically much more isolated than O-type stars, and (perhaps most surprisingly) even more isolated than WR stars. This makes it impossible for LBVs to be single `massive stars in transition' to WR stars. Instead, we propose that massive stars and supernova (SN) subtypes are dominated by bifurcated evolutionary paths in interacting binaries, wherein most WR stars and Type Ibc supernovae (SNe Ibc) correspond to the mass donors, while LBVs (and their lower mass analogues like B[e] supergiants, which are even more isolated) are the mass gainers. In this view, LBVs are evolved massive blue stragglers. Through binary mass transfer, rejuvinated mass gainers get enriched, spun up, and sometimes kicked far from their clustered birth sites by their companion's SN. This scenario agrees better with LBVs exploding as SNe IIn in isolation, and it predicts that many massive runaway stars may be rapid rotators. Mergers or blue Thorne-Zytkow-like objects might also give rise to LBVs, but these scenarios may have a harder time explaining why LBVs avoid clusters.

We present a by-product of our long term photometric monitoring of cataclysmic variables. 2MASS J18024395 +4003309 = VSX J180243.9 +400331 was discovered in the field of the intermediate polar V1323 Her observed using the Korean 1-m telescope located at Mt. Lemmon, USA. An analysis of the two-color VR CCD observations of this variable covers all the phase intervals for the first time. The light curves show this object can be classified as an Algol-type variable with tidally distorted components, and an asymmetry of the maxima (the O'Connell effect). The periodogram analysis confirms the cycle numbering of Andronov et al. (2012) and for the initial approximation, the ephemeris is used as follows: Min I. BJD = 2456074.4904+0.3348837E . For phenomenological modeling, we used the trigonometric polynomial approximation of statistically optimal degree, and a recent method "NAV" ("New Algol Variable") using local specific shapes for the eclipse. Methodological aspects and estimates of the physical parameters based on analysis of phenomenological parameters are presented. As results of our phenomenological model, we obtained for the inclination i=90°, M1=0.745M⊙, M2=0.854M⊙, M=M1+M2=1.599M⊙, the orbital separation a=1.65°109m=2.37R⊙ and relative radii r1=R1/a=0.314 and r2=R2/a=0.360. These estimates may be used as preliminary starting values for further modeling using extended physical models based on the Wilson & Devinney (1971) code and it's extensions

Context. The fact that eclipsingbinaries belong to a stellar group is useful, because the former can be used to estimate distance and additional properties of the latter, and vice versa. Aims: Our goal is to analyse new spectroscopic observations of BD+ 36°3317 along with the photometric observations from the literature and, for the first time, to derive all basic physical properties of this binary. We aim to find out whether the binary is indeed a member of the δ Lyr open cluster. Methods: The spectra were reduced using the IRAF program and the radial velocities were measured with the program SPEFO. The line spectra of both components were disentangled with the program KOREL and compared to a grid of synthetic spectra. The final combined radial-velocity and photometric solution was obtained with the program PHOEBE. Results: We obtained the following physical elements of BD+36°3317: M1 = 2.24 ± 0.07 M⊙, M2 = 1.52 ± 0.03 M⊙, R1 = 1.76 ± 0.01 R⊙, R2 = 1.46 ± 0.01 R⊙, log L1 = 1.52 ± 0.08 L⊙, log L2 = 0.81 ± 0.07 L⊙. We derived the effective temperatures Teff,1 = 10 450 ± 420 K, Teff,2 = 7623 ± 328 K. Both components are located close to zero age main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram and their masses and radii are consistent with the predictions of stellar evolutionary models. Our results imply the average distance to the system d̅ = 330 ± 29 pc. We re-investigated the membership of BD+ 36°3317 in the δ Lyr cluster and confirmed it. The distance to BD+ 36°3317, given above, therefore represents an accurate estimate of the true distance for δ Lyr cluster. Conclusions: The reality of the δ Lyr cluster and the cluster membership of BD+ 36°3317 have been reinforced.

Aims: We present the results of our spectroscopic and photometric analysis of two newly discovered low-mass detached eclipsingbinaries found in the All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) catalogue: ASAS J093814-0104.4 and ASAS J212954-5620.1. Methods: Using the Grating Instrument for Radiation Analysis with a Fibre-Fed Echelle (GIRAFFE) on the 1.9-m Radcliffe telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and the University College London Echelle Spectrograph (UCLES) on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, we obtained high-resolution spectra of both objects and derived their radial velocities (RVs) at various orbital phases. The RVs of both objects were measured with the two-dimensional cross-correlation technique (TODCOR) using synthetic template spectra as references. We also obtained V and I band photometry using the 1.0-m Elizabeth telescope at SAAO and the 0.4-m Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes (PROMPT) located at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). The orbital and physical parameters of the systems were derived with PHOEBE and JKTEBOP codes. We compared our results with several sets of widely-used isochrones. Results: Our multi-epoch photometric observations demonstrate that both objects show significant out-of-eclipse modulations, which vary in time. We believe that this effect is caused by stellar spots, which evolve on time scales of tens of days. For this reason, we constructed our models on the basis of photometric observations spanning short time scales (less than a month). Our modeling indicates that (1) ASAS J093814-0104.04 is a main sequence active system with nearly-twin components with masses of M1 = 0.771 ± 0.033 M⊙, M2 = 0.768 ± 0.021 M⊙ and radii of R1 = 0.772 ± 0.012 R⊙ and R2 = 0.769 ± 0.013 R⊙. (2) ASAS J212954-5620.1 is a main sequence active binary with component masses of M1 = 0.833 ± 0.017 M⊙, M2 = 0.703 ± 0.013 M⊙ and radii of R1 = 0.845 ± 0.012 R⊙ and R2

Three transiting exoplanet candidate stars were discovered in a ground-based photometric survey prior to the launch of NASA's Kepler mission. Kepler observations of them were obtained during Quarter 1 of the Kepler mission. All three stars are faint by radial velocity follow-up standards, so we have examined these candidates with regard to eliminating false positives and providing high confidence exoplanet selection. We present a first attempt to exclude false positives for this set of faint stars without high-resolution radial velocity analysis. This method of exoplanet confirmation will form a large part of the Kepler mission follow-up for Jupiter-sized exoplanet candidates orbiting faint stars. Using the Kepler light curves and pixel data, as well as medium-resolution reconnaissance spectroscopy and speckle imaging, we find that two of our candidates are binary stars. One consists of a late-F star with an early M companion, while the other is a K0 star plus a late M-dwarf/brown dwarf in a 19 day elliptical orbit. The third candidate (BOKS-1) is an r = 15 G8V star hosting a newly discovered exoplanet with a radius of 1.12 R{sub Jupiter} in a 3.9 day orbit.

Binaries are not always neatly aligned. Previous observations of the DI Her system showed that the spin axes of both stars are highly inclined with respect to one another and the orbital axis. Here, we report on a measurement of the spin-axis orientation of the primary star of the NY Cep system, which is similar to DI Her in many respects: it features two young early-type stars ({approx}6 Myr, B0.5V+B2V), in an eccentric and relatively long-period orbit (e = 0.48, P = 15fd3). The sky projections of the rotation vector and the spin vector are well aligned ({beta}{sub p} = 2{sup 0} {+-} 4{sup 0}), in strong contrast to DI Her. Although no convincing explanation has yet been given for the misalignment of DI Her, our results show that the phenomenon is not universal, and that a successful theory will need to account for the different outcome in the case of NY Cep.

Three presumably young eclipsingbinary systems in the direction of the Cygnus OB1, OB3, and OB9 associations are studied. Component spectra are reconstructed and their orbits are determined using light curves and spectra disentangling techniques. V443 Cyg and V456 Cyg have circular orbits while the light curve of V2107 Cyg imposes a slightly eccentric orbit (e = 0.045 ± 0.03). V443 Cyg harbors F-type stars, not young early-A stars as previously suggested in the literature based solely on photometry. It appears to be situated in the foreground (distance 0.6 ± 0.2 kpc) of the young stellar populations in Cygnus. V456 Cyg, at a distance of 0.50 ± 0.03 kpc, consists of a slightly metal-weak A-type star and an early-F star. The age of both systems, on or very near to the main sequence, remains uncertain by an order of magnitude. V2107 Cyg is a more massive system (8.9 ± 2 and 4.5 ± 1.2 M {sub ☉}) at 1.5 ± 0.5 kpc and, also kinematically, a strong candidate-member of Cyg OB1. The more massive component is slightly evolved and appears to undergo non-radial βCep-type pulsations. The Doppler signal of the secondary is barely detectable. A more extensive, asteroseismological study is necessary to fix masses more precisely. Nevertheless, the position of the primary in the H-R diagram confines the age reasonably well to 20 ± 5 Myr, indicating that for Cyg OB1 has a similar extent of star formation history as that established for Cyg OB2.

We have analyzed the double-lined eclipsingbinary system ASAS J180057-2333.8 from the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) catalogue. We measure absolute physical and orbital parameters for this system based on archival V-band and I-band ASAS photometry, as well as on high-resolution spectroscopic data obtained with ESO 3.6 m/HARPS and CORALIE spectrographs. The physical and orbital parameters of the system were derived with an accuracy of about 0.5-3 per cent. The system is a very rare configuration of two bright well-detached giants of spectral types K1 and K4 and luminosity class II. The radii of the stars are R1 = 52.12 ± 1.38 and R2 = 67.63 ± 1.40 R⊙ and their masses are M1 = 4.914 ± 0.021 and M2 = 4.875 ± 0.021 M⊙. The exquisite accuracy of 0.5 per cent obtained for the masses of the components is one of the best mass determinations for giants. We derived a precise distance to the system of 2.14 ± 0.06 kpc (stat.) ± 0.05 (syst.) which places the star in the Sagittarius-Carina arm. The Galactic rotational velocity of the star is Θs = 258 ± 26 km s-1 assuming Θ0 = 238 km s-1. A comparison with PARSEC isochrones places the system at the early phase of core helium burning with an age of slightly larger than 100 million years. The effect of overshooting on stellar evolutionary tracks was explored using the MESA star code.

Three presumably young eclipsingbinary systems in the direction of the Cygnus OB1, OB3, and OB9 associations are studied. Component spectra are reconstructed and their orbits are determined using light curves and spectra disentangling techniques. V443 Cyg and V456 Cyg have circular orbits while the light curve of V2107 Cyg imposes a slightly eccentric orbit (e = 0.045 ± 0.03). V443 Cyg harbors F-type stars, not young early-A stars as previously suggested in the literature based solely on photometry. It appears to be situated in the foreground (distance 0.6 ± 0.2 kpc) of the young stellar populations in Cygnus. V456 Cyg, at a distance of 0.50 ± 0.03 kpc, consists of a slightly metal-weak A-type star and an early-F star. The age of both systems, on or very near to the main sequence, remains uncertain by an order of magnitude. V2107 Cyg is a more massive system (8.9 ± 2 and 4.5 ± 1.2 M ⊙) at 1.5 ± 0.5 kpc and, also kinematically, a strong candidate-member of Cyg OB1. The more massive component is slightly evolved and appears to undergo non-radial βCep-type pulsations. The Doppler signal of the secondary is barely detectable. A more extensive, asteroseismological study is necessary to fix masses more precisely. Nevertheless, the position of the primary in the H-R diagram confines the age reasonably well to 20 ± 5 Myr, indicating that for Cyg OB1 has a similar extent of star formation history as that established for Cyg OB2.

We present an overview of four deep phase-constrained Chandra HETGS X-ray observations of Delta Ori A. Delta Ori A is actually a triple system that includes the nearest massive eclipsing spectroscopic binary, Delta Ori Aa, the only such object that can be observed with little phase-smearing with the Chandra gratings. Since the fainter star, Delta Ori Aa2, has a much lower X-ray luminosity than the brighter primary (Delta Ori Aa1), Delta Ori Aa provides a unique system with which to test the spatial distribution of the X-ray emitting gas around Delta Ori Aa1 via occultation by the photosphere of, and wind cavity around, the X-ray dark secondary. Here we discuss the X-ray spectrum and X-ray line profiles for the combined observation, having an exposure time of nearly 500 ks and covering nearly the entire binary orbit. The companion papers discuss the X-ray variability seen in the Chandra spectra, present new space-based photometry and ground-based radial velocities obtained simultaneously with the X-ray data to better constrain the system parameters, and model the effects of X-rays on the optical and UV spectra. We find that the X-ray emission is dominated by embedded wind shock emission from star Aa1, with little contribution from the tertiary star Ab or the shocked gas produced by the collision of the wind of Aa1 against the surface of Aa2. We find a similar temperature distribution to previous X-ray spectrum